Broken
by AddriannaDestiny
Summary: There was no hope or life left in Caroline when he met her but Klaus saw something in her that night that he couldn't explain. When lines that can't be uncrossed are permanently carved into someone's soul, is there a way to make them believe in love again? Dark AU (Daroline abusive relationship and trigger warnings inside) References to the Black Dagger series
1. Broken

**Author's Note**

Before you choose to further read this chapter or the story that will follow, please take a moment to read the warning labels first.

Throughout this story there will be explicit mentions and descriptions of abuse and violence and some of the scenes will be graphic. (These topics will be shown as aspects of a relationship between Damon and Caroline and NOT between Klaus and Caroline.)

If you find sensitive topics such as emotional torture, rape, bdsm mentions or any sort of general abuse triggering, you should be advised before reading any further.

* * *

**Broken**

He had stared at her from across the room all night, from the second that he arrived to the cocktail party that his blue eyes had been fixated on the tall girl with long golden satin hair, she was wearing a slick long green gown that left her shoulders bare, he hadn't quite seen a complexion as white as hers and although he was thoroughly fascinated by the rosy cheeks and the red lips what really had Klaus intrigued was the lack of light in her stunning blue eyes.

Yes, she was remarkably beautiful but for whatever reason he found her beauty tamed, similar to her behaviour all through the night, she would smile politely and hold a conversation whenever engaged to do so but her smile didn't reach her eyes and her words were controlled.

That's what he saw when he looked at her, how incredibly controlled this woman was, just as if breathing was a luxury and she was keeping that at bay as well, she had been alone most of the night and that was the real sin for Klaus, such a woman was born to be the focus of every party.

When she discretely wandered to the balcony he wasted no time and went after her decided on introducing himself.

She was looking at the city covered in bright lights and startled a bit when he arrived to her side.

"My apologies, for disquieting your private moment." he made the first introduction smoothly.

"I should have been more attentive." she immediately apologized for him.

"I'm Klaus." he offered his hand to her.

Although she hesitated, she rested her delicate hand over his big palm. "I know who you are."

Her touch was cautious, like she was afraid that he would close his hand with too much force around hers. "I tried all night to discover your name but it appears that you have the gift of blending in too perfectly." he gently brought her hand to his lips and respectfully kissed the back of it.

She retrieved her hand before he had the decent chance to brush her skin for long. "I'm not important." She quietly said.

He reacted with a frown for her choice of words and hasty motion. "I rarely agree with anyone and this is not an exception." he sauntered a big smile.

"May I suggest politely that you go back to the party?" she asked him with prudence.

"Only if you tell me your name." he easily answered while hiding his hands inside of the pockets of his suit pants.

"Please." she asked him in a low whispered voice.

"That is an unlikely name…" he pretended to be confused.

Her lips twitched and after a second she slightly curved them, it wasn't properly a smile but it was a commendable effort. "My name is Caroline." she said without much force.

His smile grew and while he repeated it to himself, his tongue curled around such a sweet name that really suited her. "I'm truly enchanted to meet you, Caroline."

Her hint of a smile faded and she looked away from him. "You should go back inside and return to the party now."

"And if I chose to stay here with you instead?"

She looked at him at once, pleading with her eyes and then with her body as she physically recoiled upon the arrival of another man.

"I left you in the ballroom…" the man in a dark tuxedo addressed her coldly.

She didn't look at the man with black hair and blue eyes when she answered him. "I felt a little overwhelmed, the party is very crowded tonight."

Caroline answered in the same controlled way that she had been handling herself at the party and Klaus grasped it all in with a swift eye, just like he noticed the way that she made sure that her eyes were on the ground the entire time while she spoke.

"My little delicate flower." The newly arrived man answered with a scorning spat before he reached out his hand in Klaus' way. "I'm Damon Salvatore."

Klaus kept his hands inside of his pants. "Your father spoke briefly of you earlier."

Damon closed his hand offended. "It's funny, your brother also said that I didn't particularly stand out in the crowd."

Klaus smiled, first because Kol was right and second because despite the smug attitude, the reserved girl out-shined Damon in spades. "It's only natural that we focus on the owner of the house." he neutrally said but steered a glance at Caroline, just to make sure that she was still here with them, she was motionless and still keeping her eyes on the ground.

"My father was really keyed up about hosting a party for the Ash Dagger Brotherhood but it's a shame that not everyone was able to come…" Damon smiled dreamily. "I was really excited to meet Rebekah, I heard that she's really hot."

Klaus squinted at him, everything about Caroline's body expression demonstrated that they were together yet she didn't react to Damon's words and he certainly didn't hold back on being a disrespectful prick in front of her.

"But whatever…" Damon sighed. "I guess some of you had more important affairs tonight."

"It's a relentless war against the vampire slayers." Klaus decided quickly that he didn't like Damon.

"And we need the money, that's why my father has the weapons and sells them to you. It's a win-win." Damon widened his eyes with a tick and took Caroline's elbow to usher away with him. "You should enjoy the champagne, you're paying for it after all." he bid Klaus goodbye.

"You should extend the same amiability to the rest of the guests." Klaus called him out on the tactless way that he was handling his date.

Caroline froze while Damon looked back at Klaus.

"I'll get on it at once." Damon winked at him.

Klaus merely held a serious stare with him.

As Damon turned away Caroline caught a look that she knew and feared well. "Damon, please…" she murmured practically inaudible.

He closed his hand forcefully around her elbow. "Let's finish this conversation elsewhere." he whispered threateningly at her.

Caroline grabbed the side of her dress inside of a fist and tried to keep up with his fast pace as he glided them across the big ballroom, as expected everyone was busy laughing and drinking and she was nothing but invisible.

Damon didn't stop until they reached the staircase and then he moved his hand from her elbow to her arm, she felt like a worthless feeble pack of bones being dragged by him and she offered no resistance because making Damon mad was worse for her.

She kept quiet as they crossed the small hallway to the house den and she tried to prepare for what was coming.

The huge slap that she received across the face was horrible but she was used to it, just like she anticipated the way that he pinned her hard against the wall with a hand crushing her throat.

"What have I told you about flirting with other men?" Damon hissed on her face.

"I didn't do anything Damon." she simply said.

"Don't answer back to me." he demanded harshly.

She nodded trying to ignore how much her cheek was hurting.

Damon sighed calming down and drifted his hand lower to her collarbone. "I'm sorry, you know how jealous I am of you." he smiled at her.

"I know, it's ok." she tried to keep him calm and smiled as well.

"It's just that…" he leaned over. "You are so beautiful Caroline." he kissed her while his hand started roaming down her body.

Caroline didn't answer entirely but he didn't linger his lips on hers either way, as usual he started kissing her neck and pressed her against the wall with his body, when he started lifting her dress Caroline gently touched his hand. "Damon… the house is full of people, anyone could come in." she pleaded him to stop.

"It only makes it more exciting." he touched the skin of her neck with his tongue.

"Someone could hear us." she closed her eyes wishing that he would stop.

He grabbed her neck hard. "Then don't make a sound." he warned her before biting her roughly.

Caroline held back the scream but not the tears, he was still pushing her dress up while he was feeding from her and he only stopped because his hand came in touch with her bare legs.

Damon pulled away from her neck with an angry expression. "Why aren't you wearing garters?"

Caroline swallowed her tears but her panic showed in her eyes, she was afraid to tell him that she didn't wear the garter belt and stockings because the cuts he made on her legs before they left the house were still open when she was getting dressed.

Damon punched the wall inches away from her face. "Damn it Caroline, I swear that you do this only to piss me off."

She shook her head silently.

Damon hauled away from her and took his jacket off, then he undid the knot of his tie and yanked the fabric from around his neck furious. "Give me your hands."

"Why am I being punished Damon?" she knew that it wasn't just sex that he was about to force out of her now.

He neared Caroline with an astounding shift in his mood and brushed his knuckles against her chin. "I left everything on the bed ready for you… is that hard for you to make me happy and to just put on the stuff that I chose for you?"

"Don't hurt me anymore today Damon…" she begged with a tired voice.

"Give me your hands Caroline." he demanded again with a sexy smirk. "You know that you are going to like it anyway."

"I don't." she finally spoke up. "You just make me think that I do."

"Then be a good obedient pet." He laced his tie around one of the iron wall chandeliers while he looked for one of her wrists.

"Damon please stop." She pulled her hand quickly away from him.

He tilted his head. "We can always do this while you face the wall." He warned her of her only options.

"No, Damon stop." She asked weakly as he captured her wrist hard and ready to have his way.

However Damon's actions came to halt when someone else came inside of the room.

"I understand that you might be a bit dense but I believe that the lady said that she doesn't want this." Klaus closed the door behind him.

Damon narrowed his eyes at him. "She's my girlfriend so I think that I know what she wants."

Klaus stood a few feet away from him. "I deal daily with quite the amount of atrocity, most of it caused by me…" he took the white handkerchief from his suit pocket. "But I have a special low level of temperance for men who batter women."

"That's swell of you." Damon sniggered with a vile chuckle as he watched Klaus give Caroline the handkerchief. "She's a vampire for Christ sake, she can take it. And you can spare me all of this drama."

Caroline briefly looked at Klaus before accepting the hanky and pressing it against her bleeding cheek.

"How long have you been together?" he asked her.

Naturally the reply was stolen by Damon who looked for a Scotch bottle to calm his prickling hand. "Caroline has been mine since I met her as a human, she's pretty isn't she?"

Klaus chose to keep his back on Damon and his eyes on Caroline who looked mortified.

"She vaguely tried to resist me until I persuaded her…" Damon smiled while looking at Caroline. "Blondie over there never had much willpower or strength to say no."

Klaus noticed the way that she clenched her jaw and the shadow of a fire in her eyes as she lifted them to glare at Damon. "Let me offer you some champagne, I think that you could use a drink as well." he suggested that she followed him outside.

Caroline slowly turned away to leave with him.

"Did I say that you could go?" Damon held her back instantly.

She also knew that he was about to explode. "I'll be right back Damon, I just need some air." she didn't dare to look at him.

Which really enraged him and Damon broke the bottle on the table's edge. "Stay where you are, pet."

"It's all right if you want to go sweetheart, I think that I would like to have a word with Damon alone." Klaus appeased her.

"Why are you calling her a sweetheart?" Damon waved what was left of the bottle at Klaus.

"Damon, calm down." Caroline asked him to stop making a fool of himself.

It was undeniably a hard task and he made sure his strike was painful. "I'm the definition of calm, so much that I'm considering tying you up and putting you inside of a box. Maybe I can sell you to the chivalrous gentleman by your side along with a few vervain bullets and make some money out of you."

Caroline never felt so humiliated in her existence and Damon had really placed her in horrible scenarios in the past, but tonight was a monumental new low for her.

"I can't even pin the drinking label on your personality mate…" Klaus said with disdain. "You're just sadly pathetic on your own natural glory."

"And you are a stupid ass if you think that I'm scared of you. My father is a dick for treating you like royalty when you are the one who needs us."

Klaus disregarded the insult and faced Caroline with a smile. "I think that it's time to leave Caroline."

She nodded with a small look at Damon. "Yes... I think that I finally had enough."

Reacting to what she was really saying Damon yelled and flashed with the broken bottle in his hand, he would kill her before he allowed her to leave him.

Caroline gasped when she sensed the blur on her back but faster than her was Klaus who turned and grabbed Damon's hand, he used the weapon against Damon's throat and slit it open with one clean strike.

Damon gagged on blood and dropped to his knees while Caroline silently screamed, the yells would be resonating through the big manor hadn't she been instructed not to scream loud.

Klaus took Damon's heart ruthlessly and then used his foot to push the body back, as the vampire fell dead he watched unaffected at all and dropped the heart on top of the lifeless carcass.

Caroline pushed herself against the wall terrified and shaken and the smallest cry left her when someone else barged into the room.

"I was looking all over…" Kol halted as soon as he saw the set-up. "What's with the private party?" he sprinted his eyes to Klaus. "Bloody hell Nik, did you just kill the son of the Mayor?"

"Close the door." he ordered his younger brother calmly.

"Elijah is going to lecture us for the next 100 years, he specifically said _do not murder anyone_." Kol hissed at him when he came back to help with the carpet.

Klaus wrapped the big rug around Damon's body and then poured a bottle of alcohol on top of it. "The fire will distract everyone and give us time to leave unaccounted for."

"We can exit by the glass door." Kol pointed to a small balcony that they could easily jump to reach the garden, then it was an easier escape to where their car was.

Klaus set the body on fire and nodded at Kol. "Finn by now has the weapons secured so Elijah won't be too upset." he partially smiled, at least that was his hope.

"What do we do with her?" Kol motioned his head towards Caroline.

Klaus looked at her, she was melted against the wall shaking and with a glass gaze at the burning body.

"Nik, do I kill her or do I compel her?" Kol insisted.

With a faint response she lifted her eyes until she found his, the blonde appeared beaten and cold, she had a long cut on her cheek and a big bruise on her bloodied neck but her eyes… Klaus had never looked into such despaired and hopeless eyes. "We're taking her with us." he simply said and walked straight to her.

Caroline held her breath expecting any sort of violence but all he did was offer her his hand like it happened before in the balcony, overtaken by an uncontrollable tremor and a complete block of her thoughts, she did the inconceivable and took his hand.

"What was in your champagne?" Kol asked Klaus with a cocked eyebrow.

* * *

Caroline glanced out of her window, the only time she ever left the house was with Damon and he rarely took her anywhere but some party where he could show her off as a trophy.

Back when she was still a newborn, Damon took her once to this awful club where he forced her to watch a couple having sex, when she refused to go there the next night he broke her arm during the fight.

Caroline had another glance at a city that she didn't recognize anymore, many things had changed since that night, the morning after he gave her a pair of expensive earrings and promised that he would never hurt her again like that, truthfully he never used a bat again but she never went out of the house again either.

And the nights he used the whip the hardest, were the nights she knew he had been at the club.

"Get ready for it." Kol said at the wheel.

Klaus grunted next to him and from the back seat Caroline spotted a man waiting for them just at the side of the road.

"I swear… whenever the two of you go out together." A man with strong features and caramel hair neared Kol's window.

"Finn, I had nothing to do with this." Kol promptly said.

"I find that so hard to believe." he lowered his head so that he could look at Klaus. "Elijah is raging like a wolf so be prepared for that."

"The Mayor is not the only man in the world selling guns." he dropped with zero patience for the admonish.

"Accurate… but he is an ally and Elijah really loves those." Finn guided his eyes to the girl in the back seat. "I do hope _Helen of Troy _over there was worth it."

Klaus looked at the wing mirror briefly seizing her eyes before she focused on her lap. "We will meet back at the house." he ended the talk with his older brother.

Kol drove away and it wasn't long before they reached a lavish road sided by big trees, the big property was equally fascinating and Caroline wasn't even considering the expensive cars parked in the biggest driveway she ever saw.

Klaus left the car before Kol did and he opened the back seat door for Caroline, he waited for her to exit but she didn't budge, it wasn't just fear for the unknown and Klaus knew that, he took his jacket off and held it for her when she gradually made a move out of the car.

For some reason his jacket hurt her bones but she held on to the strongly scented piece and inaudibly followed him, the Salvatore family was wealthy and their property was luxurious but it didn't match the opulence that she encountered when she went inside of his house and she would have floundered about it if it wasn't for that one detail, no matter how luxurious a golden cage was, it was still a cage.

A man wearing a dark-blue suit came down a big staircase visibly upset and his speech was directed at the two men standing in front of her.

"Do not behead anyone, do not poison anyone, do not stab or shoot anyone…" he sighed loudly. "Which part of, _do not engage in murder in any way or form_, was I not clear about?"

Klaus nodded at Kol asking him to take Caroline away and he waited until her weakened body disappeared from his sight to speak. "I found Damon Salvatore a waste of space and I acted stoically on it. I expect many songs to be written about me now."

The other participant in this conversation lightly lifted his eyebrows while judging him.

"I hadn't killed anyone today Elijah and I missed it." Klaus roguishly grinned.

"I'm under the ghastly impression that you did it to save the girl you brought home with you and I am deeply sorry if I sound perplexed but at the moment I find myself going through a list of people you have ever saved and I'm afraid that that list is startling blank."

"I'm the bloody leader of this Brotherhood and if I choose to bring someone home with me, I bloody will." Klaus shouted but in reality it sounded a lot like the whining kid answering back to his father and he left the room before Elijah voiced a reply.

* * *

Klaus reached the office in a bad mood but it was all an undertone disposition that he chose to keep to himself, the woman waiting for him had quite the night already and he wasn't impervious to it, there was a mini bar harbouring a few bottles and Klaus prepared whiskey for her, he left out the ice and the etiquette, she needed a strong drink so he filled the big glass to the top.

Caroline was standing in the middle of his office like a stray cat just out of a brawl with dogs, she wasn't shaking as much but that was only because his jacket was now covering her shoulders, the shock however was still causing her to shiver and the beverage spilled a bit as she took it into her hand.

"That will make you feel better." he assured her.

Caroline's teeth clicked against the glass when she started sipping the strong malt.

"Do you know where you are?" he asked her unclear of the extension of her knowledge about him and his family.

"I'm in the house of the Ash Dagger Brotherhood." she managed to stutter out.

"That's the calendar name." he tried to joke. "We're actually just the only pureblood vampire family existent in the world and since we are all siblings we decided on a pompous name. My sister Rebekah hates us for it by the way." he expected a smile from her but far from it Caroline remained serious.

"You fight the vampire slayers and no other takes more pleasure in a killing than you…" she looked straight into his eyes as she said his name. "Klaus Mikaelson."

Two little holes carved in his cheeks as his dimples appeared. "You've heard of me."

She looked at him unfeelingly. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I don't know…" he clasped his lips before facing away from her.

"You saved my life." she watched him prepare a drink for himself uncertain of her future.

"I suppose I did." he wasn't sure what to do with her now and he turned to her looking for an answer, clearly it was all fogged out of his mind as he found her wearing only her black underwear. "Caroline..." he frowned at her.

She had the rest of the drink for strength, then she left the glass on the floor and unhooked her bra when she straightened up.

Before she removed the strapless piece away from her body he whooshed to stop her. "What are you doing?" he asked her while covering her with his jacket again, when she replied there was absolutely no life in her eyes, at all.

"You don't make prisoners and if you brought me here it's because you want something from me."

Never in his life did words cause him this kind of disquiet. "I most certainly don't want to have sex with you like this Caroline."

Her expression fell, a bit like her heart and she nodded like she was instructed to do. "I understand… you have other preferences." she licked her dry lips seeking for the last straw of force left in her. "Do you have a special chamber… like a dungeon or…" she stopped herself from asking if he kept bondage stuff in his bedroom.

He closed his eyes almost to a full. "Love…" he fell easily into a smile. "I enjoy my sex very much consensual and with vivid participation from both parties equally involved."

"What could you possible want with me, if not sex?" she slumped a little in her place. "If it's blood, I was only allowed to drink half of a blood bag every day so I'm not that strong to be your personal food provider."

Klaus removed the jacket away from her shoulders and circled his arms around her but to her surprise he hooked her bra back into place, then he crouched to pick up the dress at her feet and covered her body with it.

Caroline closed her eyes as his fingers brushed her back while he was zipping up her dress, when he was done he covered her shoulders again with the jacket, she was confused and opened her eyes revealing exactly that, she witnessed as his eyes changed into this scary yellow shade but he buried his fangs into his own wrist and then dropped the blood into the glass that she had been holding before.

"I don't understand why you are being nice to me." she explained when he handed her the blood.

Klaus swept her bruised cheek with his thumb, perhaps neither did he.

After she had the blood, she finally stopped shaking and the smallest sparkle of life finally ignited in her eyes. "There has to be something that I can do for you, to thank you for this."

"I would like to see you smile." Klaus easily said noticing with joy how there was a new blue in her eyes that was intoxicating to look at.

Caroline was driven back to her apathy, she couldn't remember anymore how it was to smile with will.

"And I would like to know more about you."

That she could answer based on her sired training. "I care about what you care."

"What do you enjoy in life Caroline?"

"Whatever you would want me to enjoy." she objectively answered.

Klaus released a small tiny humming growl and cradled her face. "You are not sired to me, your abhorrent sire died tonight so that means that you are free."

There was a jolting twitch that made her move her head a bit and she fought with her first words. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't brought you here to be my slave, I don't exactly know why I'm sheltering you at the moment except for the reason that I see something in you. Behind all that massive emotional and physical abuse, I see a sparkle of something grand."

Her eyes filled with tears. "I don't remember… who I was before." she mumbled unable to even specify how many years she spent with Damon.

"I'm sure that you had hopes and dreams of your own, goals that you wanted to achieve in life and things that defined you. Not what others dictated that you had to be."

Caroline covered her mouth powerless to stop the big flow of tears, she had all this pain that she needed to let out but as much as the tears came forward her control devices took over and her body without ado shut down, just that instead of having a big outlet of tears and screams she felt herself plummet to the floor fatigued, she anticipated the cold from the floor to cross over from the dress into her bones but not to feel something solid and warm instead.

It wasn't until she saw the floor moving that she realized that she was in Klaus' arms and that he was carrying her somewhere.

Surely he would change his mind now that he broke her down to have her as he wanted, so she really made peace with herself, he couldn't be worse than Damon, that's what she had to keep in mind until she found out exactly what he was going to do with her.

They arrived to a wide corridor and then he went inside of the second door on the right, the room was huge and the bed was old-fashioned like with a big wooden headboard while the walls were white, that's all she got from her point of view because Klaus was massive and really well-built.

She landed softly on an yielding mattress and was covered with a warm blanket before she even blinked at him.

Klaus twiddled with a lock of her straight hair before he started pulling away. "You can stay here for as long as you need and I promise that no one will bother you." he finished already by the door and turned off the lights for her.

Caroline curled up into a tight protective ball and brought the blanket closer to her face, she kept her eyes on the door waiting for him to come back and claim the spurs of his dispute with Damon.

She kept waiting hour after hour for the leader of a squad of assassins to come in while he thought that she was too weak to fight him and to have what he wanted until he was tired of her body, she didn't sleep waiting for that door to open but morning came and that door remained closed.

**Soundtrack**:

A strange kind of love – _Peter Murphy_

* * *

**Personal note:**

For those who are still reading at this point, I want to explain that although I've chosen to explore these topics I will however not be romanticizing or sugarcoating any of this behavior in any way, ever.

I will explore things that might make you uncomfortable but I wouldn't see myself as a writer if I didn't use the power that words have to express myself about this new tendency to glorify abuse and rape.

Having said this, I should probably also tell you that I strongly believe that sex in any scenario without consent is not bdsm, it's poorly researched writing and it is without a doubt, rape.

No, is not a _maybe I want this but I'm just scared to say yes_, it's a no and a full sentence.

Now before you accuse me and my sour speech of being obtuse and a purist, I want to make clear that everyone has the right to express themselves sexually as they well please, I also like experiencing new sensations and I'm not ashamed of it but while I'm doing it with someone I trust and in a safe environment, others are being thrown into a confusing world where lines are being crossed without their consent.

And it is that blurred world that I will explore in this story, I want to approach the things that are usually brushed off under the rug because the hero has as sexy body and money.

I want to address the shocking lack of comprehension of how bdsm works (like neglecting her after care and constantly breaking the rule of a safe word for example), I know that these aren't easy things to read and believe me that they aren't easy to write either but despite the fact that I love to be fun and sexy and write KC smut and fluff and different settings for their love, I would like to think that as a writer my words can have a weight that I can't just shake off because it's comfortable for me.

Life isn't a big glamorous three minute preview backed up by a Beyonce song.

Domestic violence and abusive behavior in a relationship is serious and it exists in every form and appearance.

I am not doing this for the shock factor but because I feel that it's wrong to mask this kind of behavior as erotica romance or to pretend that it doesn't exist because it's just fiction.

There are prevailing consequences when someone feels inferior, abused and humiliated in a relationship and these are things that should and need to be spoken about.

I'm not conceited to think that I have all the truth and that others should agree with my vision on this subject entirely, this is just my two cents on the theme and my words are my way of helping those who have been victims of something that they couldn't fully understand before they were in too deep and for those who survived it.

This story is for those who have repeatedly tried to make someone happy, only to end up crying and wondering, what did I do wrong this time?

It's about hope when all is lost and about a love that validates you as a person and not as an object of satisfaction for someone else regardless of how you feel.

This is for all the girls and boys who find themselves in painful and manipulative relationships, it's always in the darkest of moments that an unexpected light will appear.

Stay strong and beautiful.

Love, Addrianna.


	2. Wounded bird

Caroline glanced outside before she dared to leave the bedroom, she wasn't sure how far she was allowed to go but still she ventured down the long corridor, she reached the staircase cautiously taking the first steps down.

Now that she had a better chance to look around she was floored by the beauty of the mansion, the decoration was so unique, there was a visible ancient feel to it yet the modern aspect hadn't been overlooked and she was visibly struck by all the art pieces scattered around, she was particularly fond of the big white sculptures that she spotted on all four corners of the enormous foyer.

There wasn't anyone around but Caroline could hear the smallest commotion coming from another division and that's where she headed, she carefully walked in a straight line avoiding the sneaking light of the sun coming inside from the wide windows and after a few minutes she encountered a group that was sitting around a big dining table.

Immediately she turned around hoping that no one had seen her, the group was too numbered and the person she was looking for wasn't among them, she was successful in her escape because they were all invested in a heated conversation but she couldn't avoid the tall woman just now approaching and smiling hugely at her.

"Hello."

Caroline bit the inside of her lower lip, she almost made it.

"I'm Sage." The beautiful woman with long red wavy hair and light-blue eyes introduced herself.

"Hi… I'm Caroline." she answered politely.

"Come, I'll introduce you to everyone." Sage took her arm, instantly guiding her back inside.

Caroline recognized the men from the previous night, Finn, Kol and the one she didn't know the name.

"This is the author of every problem in the family." Sage ruffled Kol's hair while introducing him.

"But of course…" he grunted into his coffee. "Still, why keep it to the family? I'm sure that I can be accused of starting the plague at some point."

Sage laughed moving on to the next man. "The one sitting at the head of the table is Elijah and that one, the really handsome one, is my husband Finn."

Caroline attentively spotted the way that they winked at each other.

Sage instantly got a chair for her and within the blink of an eye Caroline had a full breakfast in front of her, apparently the luxury in the house extended to the food as well.

"Rebekah is going to gush out blood when she finds out that she went to London for nothing." Finn carried on with the conversation that they were having before Caroline arrived.

"Not entirely… I mean, she does fancy the land." Kol offered his insightful opinion.

"This journey of hers was a fiasco." Elijah's severity wasn't there to make anyone smile and he extended his look to Caroline.

Although she wasn't taking her eyes from the table she could sense his eyes on her, then Finn changed the topic of their conversation and suddenly they were all openly discussing what to do with the newest lair of slayers that they found in Lisbon.

Obviously they didn't consider her presence threatening or perhaps they didn't acknowledge her presence at all and Caroline was thankful for that, if no one spotted her then she was granted some peaceful time just for herself.

"Who will go to Lisbon?" Elijah asked the brothers.

The silence made Kol grunt again. "I'm happy how everyone is so supportive of my absence in this house." he grudgingly guessed that he was getting the short stick.

"Nik can't go because I need him here." Elijah said while reading the newspaper.

Sometimes Kol hated this trade more than he should, as the silence invaded the room it was obvious that he wasn't granted another choice but to leave San Francisco again.

"Why are you not eating?" Sage suddenly asked Caroline in a quiet voice.

Caroline looked at the red-haired not sure what to say but the other woman drifted her eyes to someone arriving and slowly Caroline also followed her motion.

The man until now missing at the table arrived with a very different look from the one he was wearing when she met him, instead of an elegant black suit he was wearing low-cut jeans and a deep-red tight Henley with the first buttons open.

Klaus took the chair just next to her with a smile. "Good morning sweetheart."

Caroline slightly nodded.

He drifted his eyes to the untouched food and coffee in front of her, as the conversation picked up steam again between his siblings it hit a new loud high and he looked at Sage with a silent request.

She was suspicious as well to the reason why Caroline wasn't eating and she took action at once. "Are you all planning on sitting here all morning?"

The men looked at her confused.

"Don't you have Brotherhood things to do?" she waved a hand sending them away. "Then move on with it so that I can start working on dinner."

They all eventually did as asked and only Klaus was left behind as she left as well to give him some privacy with the girl.

"You don't like when there's confusion around you." Klaus softly spoke.

"I'm not used to being around too many people." she answered in a low voice.

Klaus pulled a cup closer to him and started pouring coffee inside. "I sympathize with you on the subject, if it was up to me, I would expel them all out of the house." he glanced at her to see if he stole a smile from her, he didn't but at least Caroline took the cup of coffee in front of her for a small tasting, the motion exposed her hand to him and he noticed now the lack of a daylight ring in her fingers. "I don't see a ring love, did you perhaps lose it last night during the upheaval?"

"I don't have one." she simply answered.

"How can that be?" he was sure that Damon was wearing one.

"When I was turned Damon became obsessed that I would run away so he never gave me a ring, I was restricted to the house and it was always dark because the windows were covered... I've learned to adjust." she adjusted her answer as well, cutting it short.

"When was the last time that you've stood under the sun?" he was incredulous at this point.

Caroline rested the cup with a slow motion. "I stopped counting the days once I realized that Damon would never let me go and although endlessly sounds excessive, it feels accurate."

Klaus looked at her silently, those were big words that he wasn't sure he could counter.

"I'm rambling." she eyed him instantly. "I'm sorry for talking too much."

He chuckled. "I feel as if I have to sell my soul to get more than rehearsed words from you, so please, do roam around with your thoughts out loud."

"They are too unbearable to listen to, even for me."

"More than one reason to let them out Caroline, it's not good to keep your demons locked up."

Her blue eyes had been wandering around but now they searched for his with a plea. "Do you also have demons Klaus?"

"Love, I kill people for a living, the demons are a part of me."

"How do you fight them?" her voice cracked the slightest.

He inched the tiniest towards her. "I massacre them all." he smirked.

She lowered her eyebrows producing a dubious look. "Isn't that paradoxical?"

His smile grew. "I am going to enjoy our talks immensely."

"We need to discuss why I'm here." she was still looking for a straight answer on that one.

He offered her nothing but dimples. "Do you have plans for today?"

Caroline stroked her arms, she was still wearing her green party dress. "Surviving it." It wasn't a rehearsed answer, it was the goal she set for herself every single day.

"Then spend the day here at the house and I will increase those odds."

Her head tilted enough to give him a side look. "What do I have to do in order to earn that privilege?"

"I still haven't changed my mind about that smile."

Their eyes remained locked for a few seconds, there wasn't a smile from her but he was a steadfast man.

* * *

"Rebekah's clothes suit you perfectly!" Sage exclaimed as Caroline came down the staircase for the second time today, now after a long hot shower and wearing fresh clothes that smoothed her skin with quality.

"Thank you for this." Caroline naturally thanked but it wasn't done vehemently because Sage was holding a blood bag in her hand.

"We weren't sure which one was your favorite blood type but we noticed that you didn't eat anything at breakfast." Sage handed her the blood. "So I took the liberty of choosing my favorite."

"Klaus is being very kind." Caroline had the smallest sip from the blood. "You all are." she said overwhelmed.

"We are an ancient and majestic family who takes pride in our history and we…" Sage stopped her elaborate speech as the loudest laughter came from the front door.

Elijah and Finn were coming inside and while Finn laughed, Elijah looked absolutely furious.

"What is that on your chest, Elijah? Were you shot?" Sage addressed the small stain of blood in his immaculate white buttoned-up shirt.

"Niklaus shot me." Elijah grumbled with a bad mood.

Finn kept on laughing. "They were having another spat and Elijah accused Nik of being literal so when Elijah said that the guns needed to be tested…" he burst into laughter again.

Elijah started unbuttoning his shirt but out of respect for Caroline he chose to go upstairs before removing the piece from his body.

"Priceless… you had to be there to seize how comical it was." Finn waned down his laughter but only to kiss Sage on the lips. "And Nik's face while he tried to stay composed?" he started laughing again.

Sage sighed at Caroline. "In all honesty, they are all just children with access to weapons."

Caroline had one of her polite half-smiles as an answer and she watched the couple go away with a conscientious eye.

Once she was left alone there was an awkward feeling of someone who didn't know what to do, the house was unfamiliar along with everything else, at this point even the blood bag in her hand was a novelty.

Not a minute went by since she sat at the sofa and the silence was out of order again, this time the cutest giggle came from the front door, she recognized Kol but not the girl he pulled to himself once they were inside of the house for a long kiss.

The girl answered him so happily that Caroline knew instantly that the kind of affection that they were displaying was genuine and not fabricated like the kind she only knew.

"I promise that I'm very sad about your trip." the girl smiled between kisses.

"Maybe a smear devastated?" he hopefully asked.

She pretended to be thinking about it very hard until she rested her forehead against his. "Promise that you'll hurry back to me."

Kol answered with the biggest smile and they were about to kiss again so Caroline should look away but sinfully she couldn't, which resulted on the girl seeing her when she casually looked at the sofa.

At once Caroline looked down but her mistake would linger now.

"You must be Caroline." the girl said pulling away from Kol.

"I didn't mean to lurk." Caroline was ready to flash back to the bedroom in shame.

"Don't worry about that, it's fine." she beamed at Caroline. "I'm Bonnie by the way and I was going to look for you before I was sidetracked." she pointed at Kol with her head.

Caroline tried to smile at the girl with beautiful caramel-skin and green eyes. "I can give you some privacy…" she felt bad for disturbing them.

"Kol is generously exiting the room now." she sent him away with a hand on his shoulder, she really wanted to stay alone with the new beautiful girl.

He growled even though it was of no practical effect and left towards Klaus' office.

"You look very enamoured with each other." Caroline softly said.

"I hate him." Bonnie said nonchalantly before dropping her body in the sofa.

"I heard that!" Kol shouted from the corridor.

Bonnie only laughed amused.

Caroline would love to be silent now but she had no idea why the girl wanted to talk to her so she inquired. "Why were you going to look for me?"

"I'm a witch." Bonnie replied with nothing but easiness. "And I do a lot of spells for the family." she took something out of the pocket of her stunning purple leather jacket. "When they called me this morning saying that they needed a daylight ring I got really curious about you, but not only that, I was excited too because it's not every day that there's another girl in the house."

Caroline glued her eyes to the ring that Bonnie was holding between her index and her thumb. "Do you live here?"

"Not exactly, I love my space and I have my own house. I do however spend a lot of time here whenever Kol is around."

Caroline looked at Bonnie clueless.

"They travel a lot, mostly Rebekah and Elijah but sometimes Kol goes on really long trips and Sage is the only one here." she leaped closer to Caroline with a small jump. "It's exciting to have another girl to talk to."

Caroline was uneasy, she wasn't even sure if she was going to be here for long, not to mention how distrustful she was to accept a daylight ring.

Bonnie's body slouched a little. "Are you ok?" she bit her lip a little before shooting the rest. "Kol said that you were pretty shaken last night…"

"I'm all right, thank you for your concern." Caroline stood up. "It was very sweet to meet you." Caroline took the ring from Bonnie and went to look for Klaus, there had to be a way to get some straight answers out of him and she strutted down the hallway ready to obtain them.

It was a worthy effort until she got lost and faced too many doors to remember the one that Kol guided her to when she first arrived to the house.

Klaus got there just when she was trying to decide if she should open a door or not, her hair was drying into these gorgeous curls that weren't wild, just falling in big cascades and Klaus smiled a bit too juvenile for his personality. "You look misplaced sweetheart."

Klaus' strong voice echoed from behind her and she spun around astray. "There are too many doors…"

"None of them is locked." he vividly recalled her comment about the dungeon.

"Everyone has secrets." she said faster than a blink.

"I am both vampire and werewolf, I've existed for over 1000 years and I spent the majority of that time avoiding direct contact with humans because I simply found them all dull. As I found life at some point, right up until the day the Slayers murdered my youngest brother Henrik and a new feud was born that opposes my family against every single slayer who pops up in the world." he darkly added. "It's a war and we won't stop until we kill them all."

Caroline wasn't unfamiliar with the story, the tales of the violent war reached her even inside of her prison. "No one has that much power without keeping secrets." she still held her belief close to her heart.

"On the contrary Caroline, I have such power because I have no need to hide behind false conjectures. I do relish in my bloodthirsty ways but if I harm someone I do it in unlock ways."

Her silence was telling, she wasn't going to push this with him.

"Perhaps I shall convince you with a guided tour… would you accompany me upstairs?"

She nodded but Caroline only fully grasped what he was doing when she followed him to the second floor where he opened every single door explaining in detail what was behind doors, he also assured her that none of the rooms were destined to keep a dark world within.

They were reaching the last doors in the hallway when he showed her a room with a warm smile. "… this is my sister's bedroom." he stopped in the threshold slightly puzzled. "I swear that it was very pink a month ago."

Caroline admired the room nonetheless, there were very beautiful things in here although the main subject was the color black. "Perhaps we can skip the next one." Caroline asked him as they heard loud moans coming from the room across this one.

"That's Finn and Sage's bedroom." Klaus moved on fast to another door.

Obviously after having skipped her bedroom, they ended up on a door that was just next to hers.

"If I ever slept, this would be the room where I would spend much of my free time." he explained before opening the door.

Her inquiring eyes were pleased by the classical look, she tracked back to him the fine taste in art judging by the incredible paintings he had in his bedroom and regardless of her will to have a better look inside, she instantly looked away instead when her eyes furtively landed on his be, the fact that she didn't see any clue of the things that Damon was such a fan of wasn't a declaration that Klaus was any different and she looked at him set on telling him exactly that.

"I met Damon during a random encounter in a coffee shop, we exchanged 10 words maybe and the next day I received roses at my house with a card explaining that he was so smitten by me that he used all of his resources to find out my name and where I lived. I was wooed as any other 17 year old girl would be and I remained that way during our first romantic dates and I didn't see past those shiny blue eyes at all. Not until I realized that there was nothing random about that first encounter... but by then I was tied up to a bed and without any control over my degrading life." she had a small breath to end her vent. "So for me, all that you have done so far is show me what I want to see and tell me what you think that I want to hear. Since yesterday that you come off as this perfect man but I know better. I know that now."

"That was the longest that you've spoken since I've met you." he easily smiled at her. "I enjoy your voice very much and I enjoyed it even more because that was the first untrained outlet that you've had thus far. We will come back to this when you feel ready to talk about it but I'm glad that we've gotten that one detail out of the way, there is no doubt that I am all around perfect."

Caroline wobbled her head bemused because he simply carried on showing her the rest of the house and each and every room or division, and what she could would inside of them.

The tour lasted for at least another hour and although she was getting tired because it was a huge house she strangely started feeling familiar with it and she slowly started taking actual interest in everything that he was saying.

The culmination of it was the moment they arrived to a different location that had a connection to the garden, Klaus was actually beaming when he pushed the double doors open to reveal a huge space with walls covered in fabric, enormous sparkling chandeliers hanging from a colorful ceiling that was ornamented with beautiful hand-painted pieces of art, on the floor there were arches joined together that created a division from the place where she was to the big square with wooden floor in the middle of the room.

"The house belonged to a Duke and we kept most of the original structure of the house only adding later nuances of new eras as times changed, the one thing in the entire house that we didn't touch was my bedroom and the…" he opened his arms. "… Grand Ballroom."

Images of girls wearing period dresses and music vibrating through the walls came to her eyes, like a small video of something she hadn't experienced but knew that existed in her imagination.

"Are you familiar with the waltz?" Klaus asked her from the middle of the room.

Please, dancing was the last in her thoughts as she glanced outside through a window.

"You've discovered my sister's favorite place to keep under wraps."

She looked at Klaus now that he was by her side. "The garden looks beautiful."

He gently took her hands, she was clutching the blood bag in one hand and the daylight ring in the other, she opened her hand without resistance when he searched for the ring that Bonnie made for her. "Shall we have a better look at the garden then?"

She gulped down loudly as he slid the ring into her index, Klaus then wrapped his fingers around hers and brought her hand hidden under his to rest over his heart.

"I'm scared…" she tried not to be too loud about her fears.

"Such words coming from a survivor like yourself? I hardly believe that from a girl who has done nothing but fight for her life since she was 17." he brushed her chin lightly before hauling away from her.

Caroline's legs didn't work at first, she was too fearful of stepping into the sun but he was really determined about this so Klaus opened the door that gave way to the garden.

The vast collection of flowers and trees, and the small paths made with white stones were eye-catching however Caroline really liked the stone gazebo impressively stealing the attention just next to the fountain.

"The sun is waiting for you." he encouraged her to join him outside.

Caroline expelled a lot of air before she took that step towards the man waiting outside with his hands crossed behind his back.

The heat first warmed her shoe, then it came up her leg and when both of her feet were out of the ballroom the sun hit her like fire, it burned without causing a wound, it ached without peeling her skin off and she closed her eyes with a painful sigh, the warmth of the sun was something that she had missed so much.

Caroline opened her eyes wondering if a rebellious smile would escape her now but in case it happened it wouldn't be witnessed by Klaus for he had left her alone to cherish the moment.

She heard him closing the double doors behind her and with another decisive step she exposed herself further to the sun, she assumed the sensation to be like she was charging an old dead battery and she took her time savoring every second of it.

She left her hand open under the sun, letting it heat so much that her veins seemed to be ablaze, knowing that she was alone Caroline leaned her head back so that the sun hit her entirely and between some harsh gushes of happiness for finally having access to something so precious, she silently cried.

* * *

"There's something about that Caroline girl that makes me really sad…" Bonnie commented with Kol.

"Damon had a nasty vile reputation when it came to women…" he closed the front door with his foot because he was carrying two heavy bags to the car. "But I still thought that he wasn't extending that to his own girl."

"There was something deeply wrong with the core of that guy if he was able to hurt someone like that." Hurt, that was all that Bonnie could think of to describe what she saw in Caroline.

"Darling..." Kol lifted his occupied hands. "Can you get the keys for me? I need to unlock the car."

She scolded him knowing that it was just a trick to have her touching him.

"It's in my back pocket." he smirked at her.

"I love how you can be so inconveniently blind to the conversation we are having whenever you…" she stopped her small rant half-way when she encountered something else in the pocket of his Jeans.

He dropped the bags and cunningly laced his arms around her. "I saw you gawking at them every time we walked by the store."

Bonnie bit her bottom lip hard while gripping the small chamois leather bag that she took from his pocket, she undid the small bow with a growing excitement then she dropped two astonishing tear-shaped earrings on her palm. "You didn't…"

"Why wouldn't I?"

She crashed her body against his and sweetly kissed him. "Thank you."

"I will be back soon." he guaranteed her.

And she believed him, every time that Elijah sent him away on some long lacklustre errand Kol always found a way to fix things quickly so that he came back running to her, she was going to miss him of course but she still had a few minutes before he went away so she used that time to kiss him.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, Caroline was watching the couple from the gazebo, she had a good view from here and she had a bit more of her blood while sitting in a beautiful and magical place.

There were birds singing, adding to the ethereal feeling but naturally the big high was accompanied by a larger fall and Caroline roughly stood up from the gazebo when she saw the familiar car racing up the driveway.

She dropped the blood on the ground and ran back inside of the house, if her heart was alive it would be pounding in her chest, resonating stridently in her ears as she found her way back to the long corridors of a house she didn't know well, Caroline could hear the old vampire making himself announced at the lobby so she couldn't be far from where he was, in panic she ran faster making a speedy turn on a corner when someone unexpectedly stopped her.

She froze unable to scream although no one would hear her because there was a hand covering her mouth and a rock-solid body keeping her strongly immobilized.

"It's me." Klaus whispered in her ear removing his hand away from her mouth but keeping her close to him.

Caroline turned her head petrified. "Giuseppe is here for me."

"Do you want to go back with him?" Klaus asked her in a murmur.

She shook her head reacting to a whole new level of panic.

"Then stay here." he knew what to do.

* * *

"Good afternoon." Klaus walked in with a big smile.

"Brother…" Elijah turned on his heels with a warning engraved in his eyes. "The Mayor unfortunately visits us with sad news, his son Damon was killed last night at the party."

"My heart weeps." Klaus pretended to be deeply affected by the information.

Elijah promised him a long lecture after a small talk between their eyes but he truly looked sorrowful when he faced the Mayor. "It's most unfortunate news and you have my condolences for your loss."

"My son Damon was last seen having a conversation with you." Giuseppe had his eyes on Klaus.

"I spoke to so many people last night." Klaus was all cool.

"One of my bodyguards saw you speaking to a girl, she was in a green dress and her name is Caroline. She was my son's fiancée and she is also missing."

"I wasn't aware of the degree of connection between them." Klaus straightforwardly said. "I saw a pretty girl abandoned all night and I took the initiative of keeping her company for a few minutes."

"I know my son's temper and I can envision how that could have enraged Damon…" Giuseppe was about to reach a few conclusions on his own.

Klaus crossed his arms taking a long look at the man. "I walked in on a fight between Damon and his…" he twiddled a few fingers in the air. "… fiancée, is it?" he found the status absolutely abysmal.

"Did you confront Damon?"

"I would never put my input on something that was not my business."

Giuseppe was troubled but he was also desperate to find the killer of his son. "Maybe she did it… she was always acting out in the beginning, one of those women who have an opinion about everything, you know?" he clenched his teeth. "Until Damon trained her to be the kind of woman who was worthy of being by his side, a woman who knows her place and knows that her job is to look pretty next to an important man. Preferably mute."

Elijah and Klaus shared a quick look between them.

Giuseppe was nurturing a bigger rage now. "But I always knew that a problematic woman is a hassle for life. Perhaps she has something do to with this… maybe there was a lover that she sneaked into the house to hurt my boy…" he was far away already conjuring various possibilities.

"I walked Caroline out of the room so that she could calm herself." Klaus decisively said. "And we had a pleasant walk in the garden prior to our bigger journey."

Giuseppe narrowed his eyes at Klaus. "Explain yourself further."

"I brought her home with me."

"She's here?" Giuseppe looked at one of his thugs instantly.

"If you move one muscle decided to scavenge my house, I will kill you." Klaus ruthlessly left clear that he wasn't allowing such liberties.

"If the girl is here, I will take her with me. She must know something and I will yank the truth out of her." Giuseppe snarled.

"Caroline did spend the night here but as morning came I disregarded her presence and she had a stroll in the sun, as you might remember she didn't wear a ring…" Klaus tensed his shoulders when the thug took too long to step back.

"She's dead?" Giuseppe was distraught.

"Turned into a poetic pile of ashes." Klaus explained.

"The killers of my son must be called to justice regardless of her priggish decision to end her life. As a prominent member of the Council, I hereby enlist the help of the Brotherhood. Find her accomplice and bring him to me."

"I will personally make sure that this barbarian is caught and punished." Elijah immediately took charge. "And I will contact you as soon as we have a name… for now you need not to worry about this but prepare everything for a respectful service."

"Yes…" Giuseppe fell into sadness. "Thank you for your support Elijah."

"I do it with honor." he shook hands with the Salvatore man.

Giuseppe got ready to leave. "I will provide with anything that you need but I want this dealt quickly and efficiently… I have a high rank in the Council and it doesn't look well for me to have a murdered son at my own party without knowing who did it."

"Before the next moon arrives I will have a severed head for you." Elijah comforted him.

Giuseppe nodded on the way out. "Klaus…" he stopped for a second before his exit. "Why did you take Caroline out of the house?"

"She asked me to."

Giuseppe was a bit astounded with the insolence. "That little slut..."

Klaus didn't answer him, he remained motionless while pondering about how many different ways he could dismember the Mayor while he was still alive.

Elijah faced Klaus as soon as the car started going down the driveway but before he even launched a verbal admonish Klaus was faster.

"I love when you call me a barbarian Elijah, it really makes me reach out and touch my feelings."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "You have no feelings Niklaus, it would require that you like people to have those." he headed for the library.

Klaus turned his head disappointed with the lack of bigger expensive words to judge him and his actions. "Elijah?"

"The girl can stay here for as long as she wants. Although we are all callous killers and narcissist men with the notion that we are too perfect for this world, we are still a better shelter for her than that abomination of a family. I refuse to let them come within inches of her again." Elijah moved his tongue against his palate, the notion that a man was able to disrespect a woman like that was deeply offensive to him.

Klaus smugly smiled, rarely Elijah was this agreeing with him.

* * *

He found her in the office, she had found refuge there and looked at him with big bewildered eyes. "You told him that I was dead."

"I've granted you a chance to... start over…" he didn't mean to reel his reply but his desk was utterly different from the usual clutter, there used to be a big confusion of knifes, daggers, the occasional gun and many, many books, so many that Klaus was surprised to find a copy of his beloved _Oliver Twist_. "I truly assumed that this was lost."

Caroline's breath changed and she clasped her lips tight in worry.

"You organized my desk." It had to be her, everyone else gave up trying to do so.

Klaus was a messy man, he left things everywhere, forgot where they were and then later blamed everyone for stealing them, then he was too picky about the way that the books should be organized, it had to be done by author and year of publishing, no slacking allowed.

Not to mention that he was extremely grumpy if anyone decided to clean the dry blood from a blade he used, there was a ritual that needed to be respected and he wasn't tolerant about that, at all.

"You're mad…" Caroline predicted.

Klaus flicked his eyes along the items, the blood was still on the knifes that she lined up by size, then there was a small pile with papers on the right side of his desk and on the heart side she kept his books, she missed the years that they were published but she did honor the authors and had _Dickens_ on top. "I'm just stunned to find out that my desk is made of chestnut mahogany… although I've insisted repeatedly that I had a method it's very clear that it all turned out into a disorder out of control." he dropped the book on top of the papers.

Caroline quietly restored the book to the right pile, awkwardly she apologized before he got angry at her. "I'm sorry… I'm a micro-manager and when I'm nervous I tend to clean and fix and organize and it gets slightly compulsory…"

"I only ask that you don't touch the weapons, they need to be cleaned with oil of clove during a cleansing ceremony." there was a glimpse of a big smile approaching.

"Klaus... how many people have you killed in your life?" she tried preparing for a large number.

"More than the amount that you are trying to guess in your head. Probably the double."

She swept her lips with her tongue. "Do you have a conscience about that?"

"I don't recall the last time that I've slept but it could be because I don't need it." he said with confidence.

"You don't look like a serial killer." she tried to steer away from the fact that he oozed a strange sense of security.

"I kill without mercy, sometimes because I have to, others because I enjoy it."

She knew that he was talking about Damon when he mentioned his joy.

"But the one thing that I don't do Caroline…" he kept her eyes hostage of his. "… is take away someone's dignity. If I have to kill I do, if I have to torture I do but I don't humiliate my quarry."

"You told Giuseppe that I asked you to take me away…"

"Your eyes did." he stayed true to what he saw in her.

When he turned his back on her and headed for the door, Caroline became aware that she didn't want him to leave, she wanted him to stay with her and she wanted to talk to him because she missed doing that, she missed having a voice. "Where are you going?" she managed to ask just as he was about to cross the doorsill.

"Sage takes dinner very seriously and we all try to sit at the table on time and well-dressed." he hilariously flaunted a leaning of his head to the side.

"So what happens to me now that I'm dead to the world?" she shrugged not sure if it was a rhetorical question.

"There's a whole new world out there Caroline, just waiting for you to be born again." he smiled at her with a goodbye feel in the air, that's why he couldn't ask her to stay.

"You didn't get your smile in the end…" she laid out her goodbye as well.

"This was never about me sweetheart, it was all about you." he turned away.

She gasped with the biggest dawn rising inside of her.

* * *

"I made _Blackened Redfish_." Sage informed excited as the men arrived to the table.

"Kol is going to be crossed that you made his favorite dish on the night that he is not here." Finn alerted her.

"He doesn't like fish." she said almost certain of it.

Finn grinned, he so loved making her nervous.

"Ugh." she launched a vicious glare at him.

"It smells delicious." Elijah arrived right with Klaus behind him.

"Thank you my gentlemanly brother-in law." Sage could always count on Elijah to be correct.

"Has Caroline left already?" Elijah asked the brother in front of him.

He reckoned so but the girl walked inside of the dining room in a simple summer dress that she borrowed from Rebekah's closet, Klaus stood from his chair courteously as she took the vacant seat next to him and unlike all day he was speechless now.

"You said that dinner was a big deal for Sage and it would be rude of me to leave without thanking everyone for the warm welcome." she explained him quietly but when the conversation started around them she lowered her voice further. "And I would like to know more about the world in here before I venture outside."

"You should brace yourself then love, the family is all madcap." Klaus reached out for his wine with a grin.

Caroline graciously placed her napkin over her lap, he couldn't see it but she was actually inwardly smiling a bit.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

To build a home – _The Cinematic Orchestra_


	3. Jaded

Caroline closed her eyes to gain a bit of courage but every second that she waited for that bravery to come was another second that she was spending in bed with him so she latched on to a sparkle of something other than terror and moved her foot, the instant it touched the floor she sneaked the other from under the sheet and slid away from him without making a sound.

Caroline looked back, he was still sleeping so she stopped breathing and reached for the doorknob, she then gasped daring to hope for an escape but that feeling dissipated as fast as the whooshing sound startled her.

"Why are you leaving?" he whispered closely behind her.

Caroline turned around shaking. "I thought that you were sleeping…"

"I was." Damon smiled hugely at her. "You left me very tired last night."

Caroline panicked in her mind, she remembered kissing him but also asking him to stop once things escalated and she felt uncomfortable, that was also the last memory that she had about what really happened in her bedroom.

"You're amazing once you give in." he leaned over to kiss her.

Caroline stepped back melting against the door. "I don't want you to touch me."

"Don't be silly." he tilted his head and delivered a perfect sly side-look at her.

"I'm serious Damon, I don't remember what happened last night but I know that you did hurt me and I don't want you to touch me again." she tried sounding resolute enough. "I want to leave."

"We had dinner and you were wearing that stunning red dress, then we came here and I ripped that thing off your body with a very sexy move…" he explained inching again closer to her. "And then we kissed and you were very in the mood… you remember that, don't you?"

Caroline covered her eyes with her hand, it was all so foggy and strange but a fickle of an image surfaced above all the confusion. "There was something wrong with your face…" she stared back at him scared.

"It was your first time and you were all girly nervous." he moved his hand to stroke her collarbone. "That's all."

Caroline slapped his touch away. "I'm serious, don't touch me. I remember telling you no. I remember asking you to stop, I remember telling you that I didn't want this." Instantly he hardened his face taking her back to the last memories that she had of their night.

"Don't make a scene Caroline." he warned her.

"What are you?"

He sighed without patience so Caroline quickly turned around and tried to leave the room but painfully he pulled her hair to haul her back to him and then pushed her towards the bed.

Caroline was shoved against it with such strength that she hit the wall and only then bounced back to the mattress, still she tried reacting and defensively hugged her knees expelling a small gasp when his eyes became black and horrible veins formed across his face.

Damon smiled showing fangs that descended and walked smugly to the bed. "I'm a handsome vampire and I think that you find me really hot." he held his hands in front of his bare chest with a cocky attire.

Caroline had no idea what he was, just that she was terrified of him. "What did you to me last night?"

He found support for a knee on the bed before he crawled to her with a predator look on his eyes. "You are all the same, first you want the rough sex with the stud then you pretend victim…" he rolled his eyes. "We had fun and that's all you need to remember for now."

Tears filled Caroline's eyes. "I don't…"

"You don't know? Don't understand? Don't this, don't that..." he sighed annoyed before cupping her chin. "That's ok Caroline, I didn't expect that much from someone like you but your blood tastes sweeter than anything I ever tasted…" he dropped his voice. "The rest I can teach you later, it's not that hard to please me."

Caroline tried another desperate escape from the bed but he easily yanked her back to him, his strength was an unfair weapon and she hit her head hard against the mattress as he pinned her to the bed with a chocking hand around her throat.

She looked at him dizzy from the small battle and from the sick feeling rising inside of her.

He on the other hand smiled like he was straight out of a dream. "Are you going to be a good girl now?"

"Get out of my house." she tried fighting the hand keeping her down.

"Once invited in, forever close to the heart." he moved a hand down to caress her leg.

Caroline kicked and shrieked under him. "Stop Damon, I don't want you to do this."

"Do what?" he inched his vamped face closer to hers.

Caroline chocked because he closed his hand a little, the air wasn't reaching her and she closed her hand around his, feebly fighting that excruciating grip.

"If you promise to be a good girl, I will reward you with a little air."

Caroline closed her eyes once which made Damon open his hand, she coughed in pain and harshly tried to get her breath back.

Damon twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. "I think that I like you better with straight hair."

She wasn't even here, that's how it felt, that she was still dreaming and that all this was just an agonizing product of her imagination.

Damon kept on caressing her body covered with a short nighty. "Do you like the sexy little thing that I chose for you?"

Caroline blinked releasing a single tear that rolled down her face, it wasn't a dream, he was real and this was really happening to her.

Damon kissed her lips before widening his eyes. "Are you going to stop fighting me now?"

"Yes." she answered without emotion.

"Are you going to do everything that I tell you to do?"

"Yes."

He smiled pleased. "Good… you are going to be a good pet." he took her wrist so that he could feed from her.

Caroline didn't fight him now, she didn't want him to bite her but the scream she could hear in her mind wasn't coming out and she didn't understand why, she just didn't know what was happening to her...

* * *

Caroline numbly brushed her hair, the memory came fluid this morning and it was stuck on repeat, that first morning with Damon was a concealed memory for so long but right after she was turned it became a movie that wouldn't stop playing in her mind and sometimes Caroline wasn't sure what was worse, the ignorance that was uncovered after she was turned or what happened later that couldn't be hidden by compulsion.

There was a pause in her deadened mind-replay because a knock on the door announced someone and Caroline went to see who it was.

"Good morning." Klaus greeted her with a big effortless smile.

"Good morning Klaus." Naturally she tried to be nice but she didn't have a smile for him, specially this morning when she was so entrenched in her painful thoughts.

"I came to escort you to breakfast." he kept his smile, it was a given for him that she wasn't going to give him the gift of a smile that easily.

"I'm not very hungry." she tried weaselling her way out of a big gathering.

"I waited for the others to end their loud meal so we will have the dining room all to ourselves."

She reacted favourably and nodded. "Give me a second."

Caroline went back inside of the bedroom to leave her brush and to pick up a long cardigan instead, during that small task Klaus glanced inside and spotted that she had covered all the mirrors that existed inside of the room, it intrigued him immensely but Klaus kept the question for later.

When they were going down the staircase Klaus was attentive to another detail, she had her eyes fixated on the statues ornamenting the big foyer. "Do you like them?" he asked as they passed one of them.

"They are breathtaking." she truly loved them.

"I bought them from some unknown artist a few years ago." he informed her but only smiled when she went ahead of him in the hallway.

No one was at the table but the same seats they had taken during dinner were ready for them.

Caroline had a variety of items to choose from but she kept it strictly to a cup of coffee and the smallest portion of grapes while Klaus enjoyed his coffee and Eggs Benedict.

"I heard them talking about you more than once back at the Salvatore house, they said that you only came to the city a couple of centuries ago." Caroline wasn't sure about his origins at all.

"We were all born in England but the plague harvested one of my siblings early on, wanting to save the rest of the family my father decided to bring us all to the New World where we all stayed until we were turned. Every one of us has paved the four corners of the world at least twice until Henrik came to San Francisco to study in the local University…" he chuckled softly. "He wouldn't stop talking about the advanced bio-medical research that they were doing here and he wanted to be a part of it."

Caroline wasn't sure if she should take her inquiry any further so she went back to her coffee and the silence prevailed for a little longer until she decided to take the smallest leap to end it. "You said that he was killed... how did that happen?"

"He landed right in the middle of a turf war between the few vampires living in the city at the time and a few idiots trying to kill them. When the vampires learnt that he was an Original they tried making him a leader but my adolescent baby brother was everything but that, he and his small group of fighters ended up killed."

Again she was quiet but not because she was afraid of asking more questions but out of respect.

Klaus picked up his coffee with a reminiscent look in his eyes. "We arrived too late to save him but we killed everyone involved in his death and I went after their families and slaughtered them all." his eyes and voice darkened. "Not even their dogs dodged my wrath during that week."

Caroline gulped down. "But... the slayers still exist." she sealed her lips unwilling to over talk.

"A few other idiots thought that it was a good idea to call us all a bunch of conceited and elitist idiots. From one daft to another it really didn't sit well with us."

"The world is full of idiots."

It wasn't remotely a joke, she sounded so strict that he shouldn't chuckle but Klaus found her funny. "Then I shall never run out of work." he waited impatiently for a smile.

Caroline only shoved a grape into her mouth and chewed on it without much willpower.

Klaus glared at her. "I have wit oozing out of every inch of my skin."

"Ok." she kept the information like it was a simple weather broadcast.

He pushed away his plate frustrated. "Consequently a group of pirates and outlaws decided to form a Council to _officially defend the interests of vampires worldwide_. As far as the Mikaelsons are concerned, the Council is only the crowd filling the arena while us, the gladiators fight to the death but something that could have drifted us exponentially apart united the siblings and we decided to live together since then, after all we are a family and we shouldn't be scattered around the world like strangers."

"You seem close, like a true brotherhood." she voiced what appeared to her.

"Kol chose the name after a book series that he liked and the name lingered with us."

"It's very known by everyone." she considered adding the gruesome tales of his killings as well but surely Klaus remembered every kill in detail so she would be wasting a perfect opportunity to be quiet, she lifted her eyes wondering what to say next but a natural reel was caused by his eyes, he was looking intensely at her and she recoiled away instantly from that concentration. "Is it ok if I go outside to the garden?" she asked uncomfortable with his stare.

"It's not that you ask me." he clarified before reaching for his ringing phone. "In this house you are a guest and you are free to go anywhere you want, therefore you are by all means allowed to step outside of the property as well." he made sure to add that bit.

She sighed once he exited the room, it took time to get used to that and she was just starting to feel the ground around her, it was too soon to go out to quicksand areas but the garden was nice and she started looking for it, after a few confusing turns she had the growing feeling that she was getting lost when thankfully she found some help in the hall that led to the kitchen.

"Sage…" she approached the woman relieved.

The red-haired turned to her holding two huge cookbooks. "Hi." she beamed at her. "Oh, I like your hair today."

Caroline only did something simple as holding one side of her hair with a pin but it was nice to hear the comment. "You said that I could use the things that were in the guest bedroom."

"Of course, they are mostly things that Rebekah buys and then decides that she doesn't like anymore but when we have time, I am taking you shopping for new clothes and shoes and everything else." Sage assured her.

"I'm ok." Caroline dreaded the idea of receiving anything else from the family without paying them. "Do you need help?"

"Yes." Sage held the two open books for her. "Which cake looks better to you?"

Caroline frowned with the two perfect images before her. "They both look very delicious."

"I wanted luscious." Sage turned the books back to her. "Finn loves chocolate cake but after five centuries of marriage it's very hard to surprise him."

Caroline looked at Sage bewildered.

The other raised her eyes from the books. "I know what you are thinking, what took me so long to marry him..." she shrugged. "I suppose I just really loved the idea of being betrothed and I didn't want to move things along for many centuries."

"So you've been with Finn for longer than that?" Caroline went after Sage as the other headed for the kitchen.

"I was his girlfriend back when we were still human but before that happened I was promised to another man, only that my heart belonged to Finn and he was in love with me so we started to meet in secret." Sage smiled enchanted with the warmth her memories brought to her. "At first we made plans to run away because my family arranged for the other wedding and my father would never agree with such a scandalous twist of grooms but then Elijah found out that we were in love and he helped us."

"I don't mean to pry but how did he help you?" Caroline was loving the pretty story so much.

"He told Nik and then the three of them beat up my unwanted suitor, leading to a soft decline of his intentions to marry me." Sage perkily brought her shoulders together. "Once I was free Finn asked for my hand in marriage and I latched on to that hand never letting it go again."

"You had a beautiful destiny cut out for you."

"I was lucky." Sage lowered her voice with a soft smile, she also felt blessed. "So which cake are we baking today, the dark chocolate cake with mint or the dark chocolate cake with orange?"

"I like the mint option." Caroline answered sincerely.

Sage clapped agreeing with her and quickly grabbed two bowls, one for her and one for Caroline. "I will work on the Fondant while you do the rest."

Caroline picked up an egg. "Are you going to trust your valuable cake on a basket case?"

Sage grabbed a bag with flour. "I have a gift for the kitchen but not always things turn out the way I want them to be, yet you know what I've learned with time? That even the sad slightly burnt cover hides a beautiful glowing cake inside and that sometimes all that it takes is to carefully chip away that damage."

"What if it's so ruined that it can't be saved?"

"With a little help everything is possible." Sage started filling the table with everything that they would need for the cake. "You are making the cake and I'm making the cover."

"You're helping me so that I don't have to do it alone." Caroline admired the gorgeous white egg in her hand.

"You just need to start somewhere." Sage waited for her without pressuring her. "Take your time with it, no one is expecting the cake for dinner so if it doesn't work out we'll think of something else for dessert."

Caroline pushed her nails down on the middle of the egg cracking it open, Klaus was probably right and they were all crazy to the core but strangely among their waywardness she found calmness.

* * *

Klaus followed the smell coming from the kitchen, Sage was the one with the golden touch and they often sneaked a taste of her culinary abilities before it reached the dining table but instead of his sister-in-law, Klaus was presented with Caroline leaning against the counter and admiring a stunning cake.

"That looks ravishing." Klaus was very struck by the beauty of it himself.

"I made it with Sage." Caroline said proudly.

"I can see that." Klaus said with a chuckle and a hand motioning towards her face.

Caroline moved away from him fast and looked startled by his action.

"You have a bit of flour on your cheek…" Klaus explained his sudden motion.

Caroline swept her cheek with her hand choosing not to apologize this time, the reaction was an instinct that she couldn't stop.

"I was on my way to the garden." he quickly tried going around the scratchy moment.

"I got sidetracked before I found my way there, and I was lost before that." she looked at him hopeful that he would keep her company despite her aversion to be touched when she wasn't prepared for it.

"There's a passageway just at the end of the hallway that will take us there." he agreed to show her the way.

Caroline tried to memorize the path this time and she was so concentrated in counting how many steps she was taking that she stopped when the sun hit her foot, for a moment she forgot that she had a ring but when she didn't ignite into a massive fire she ventured outside eager to have the sun warming her.

In the gazebo she sat right on the place that was bathed by the sun whilst Klaus sat across her, picking for himself the darker spot where the sun wasn't reaching him at all.

"This is my favorite place in your house so far." If she could, Caroline would spend all of her time in here.

"We all have our preferences, while Finn spends a great deal of his time around the garage and the expensive cars, Elijah dedicates his attention to the library. Kol doesn't spend much time home, he prefers all things related to Bonnie." Klaus made a big circle with his hand. "We are all very appreciative that he spends most of his nights at her house because they are very loud."

"I found them sort of... adorable." Caroline couldn't quite touch what she liked about them so much.

"Bonnie came to San Francisco during a summer with her father and his new family, she was stuck in a bad vacation with the new wife of her father and their twelve-year old son so one night she made her way out of the hotel and went to a Club..." Klaus didn't bother ending the tale.

Caroline motioned her head once. "She met Kol and the rest is history."

"For the longest month no one could explain why this human was living at our house and reading Elijah's books."

Caroline almost motioned a smile, it was warming to know that not all humans were easy bait for vampires. "He seems to adore her..." she could tell that by the way that Kol looked at Bonnie.

"Adoration or devotion, I'm not sure which. I just know that my brother only has heart eyes for her."

"What about you Klaus? In the midst of such a big family you look pretty lonely to me."

"That would be Elijah, the eternal bachelor."

She folded her legs across the stone seat. "Someone like you with so much wit can't find a girl?"

"I'm not entirely sure about your sense of humour yet." he dropped his chin low but kept his eyes on her.

"I don't have one, there's no pulse to it... like everything else." she stated how dead she felt.

He bent over resting his elbows on his legs. "Do you have any family left Caroline?"

"No, my mother died when I was still human." she looked away from him.

"How were you turned?"

Caroline steered her eyes back to him taken by the blunt question but he looked serious enough to expect a swift answer. "I tried leaving Damon once, when I found out that vervain existed and that I could use it to fight his compulsion. I was finally able to tell him that it was over and to walk away so I left the mansion ready to start over without him in my life and I went back to my old apartment…" she stopped to gather her breath but the words got mixed up with her pain and she couldn't talk anymore.

"I'd like to show you the Temple now." Klaus stood up without doubt and smiled with dimples at her. "I didn't finish the tour of the house the other day."

She frowned. "I'm trying very hard not to make wrong assumptions here…"

"Well, you are free to stay here and enjoy the beautiful day but I have to leave in a few and I would like to complete that tour now, after all, it's very hard to complete this heavy task that I've given myself, the one of making you smile that is, when you still expect me to keep some dark secret side of me hidden from you."

"Why is it so important for you that I see you a certain way?"

He answered with another question. "Does it bother you that when I look at you I see everything that is not there at sight?"

"Yes." Although her reply was immediate, there was a flick of emotion that she hadn't foreseen.

"Then we cannot focus on that until you stop trying to examine to exhaustion everything that I am and what I could possibly be hiding from you. You need to step away from your cautious mistrust for one second and you need to listen carefully."

Caroline's breath picked up steam and she looked at him puzzled as he neared her.

"You said that you didn't remember who you were and I know that you are being honest about it, at some point the pain became so unbearable that you just turned it all off but Damon didn't want that… no, he enjoyed inflicting pain and he took pleasure knowing that you felt it… I know..."

Caroline stood up hastily. "Don't even, you don't know how it was like so didn't try to analyze something that you didn't go through. I don't need to listen to educated guesses of how bad I had it, I was there so I know it. Not you."

"Damon kept bringing your emotions back, day after day, so that you felt it all…"

"Stop it." she said with clenched teeth.

But not only Klaus kept going he also kept his eyes steady on hers. "So you stopped existing entirely, you were just a shallow corpse who felt pain when he wanted you to, who pretended to have pleasure when he demanded…"

She turned her back on him. "I don't want to keep listening to this, I want you to go."

"Every time that you successfully turned your emotions off, Damon's sire bond commanded that you had it back on so that he was in control and never you."

Caroline bit her lip hard feeling the tears pooling at her eyes.

Klaus steadily kept his voice low, unwavering. "You were trapped in this endless bash that pushed every bearable border until you broke down and you broke down every single day." he came around so that he stood in front of her.

"Why are you doing this?" she gushed out between heavy tears.

With the slowest, most gentle move he touched her wet cheek. "When was the last time that these were real?" he whispered.

Caroline pressed her stomach, the ache was eating everything inside of her, it didn't allow her to breath or to cry without feeling like she was being torn apart and she cave in with a bigger jolt of tears that grew of intensity.

He didn't maintain his touch on her but he kept the small intimacy by keeping his body close to hers and his voice was caring as he carried on. "Do you want to know where that Caroline you once knew is hiding? It's right there under all that suffering, she's the one who through it all kept you from disintegrating and she's the one who stopped you from taking your life when the thought became the only possible cure for that torment."

"She died the day that she met Damon." Caroline voiced her deepest most confident assurance.

Klaus shook his head. "No, she's staring right back at me with an emerging will to push a stake into my heart so that I finally go quiet about things that I don't understand and with a pleading will that I go back to the charming prick that I was at breakfast." he gave her one final nudge.

The pain wasn't as overwhelming as before and she gradually gained control over her tears, the throbbing inside of her faded slowly into something entirely new and unexpected and Caroline looked up at him with nothing but anger. "You are a son of a bitch, you know that?" she accused him with a fire that she consciously assumed extinguished in her.

His lips curved into a magnificent grin. "You are probably right because my mother was quite the strumpet."

Caroline dried her tears and the last sniffle came with a feel that she hated him for pushing her like this.

Clearly aware of it Klaus explained himself. "My biggest forte as an assassin is the way I can foreseen what's in the mind of my prey, I'm not a hero Caroline but I know that you are not looking for one. At the best of odds I'm the devil willing to provide some help with my unique abilities but you need to lower your guard." With that he walked away and he only felt her presence again when he was near the room he wanted to show her earlier.

Silently Caroline walked inside of a big chamber that was only lit by thousand of candles, in the middle of the vast room there was a small stand with a heavy sword on top of an iron formation and behind it, forming a line at the back of the room there were thousands of knifes and blades of every sorts, shapes and sizes.

As her eyes drifted further she noticed that behind those weapons there was also a glass casing that was complete with guns and blue bullets, if she ever doubted that the civilized family who gathered together for normal dinner moments was a highly trained group of killers, it surely felt dense to doubt it now.

"There's a tangible intensity inside of this room that I can't explain, I never felt anything like it before." she searched for Klaus.

He was standing right next to the main appeal in the room, the ancient sword that he kept from his human days. "The Vikings believed that when we take a life with a blade the soul of our kill stays in that blade, so in order to give it peace I must clean the blade with a precise ritual."

Straight away she looked at a few daggers that still had blood in them.

"Obviously I judged that a few didn't deserve such a benevolent fate." Again he held nothing back from her.

"Have you ever spared anyone that you were decided to kill from the start?"

"When the slayers realized that we were winning the war, they became creative and found other ways to infiltrate the house." Klaus walked over to a particular sword that he removed from the wall. "They enlisted the help of a vampire who frequented my house regularly, I caught him just as he was trying to kill Rebekah but during our fight she stepped in and begged me to save his life because she was in love with him."

"If you didn't kill him… whose blood is that?"

"I didn't kill Marcel that day but I wounded him, the sword is reserved for the great kill whenever I go face to face with him again."

Caroline's chin fell a little. "Marcellus Gerard?" she knew him to be the leader of the rebels, the one who relentlessly fought the Brotherhood and tried to kill them all.

"Marcel escaped that day and became our biggest nemesis, he has been turning humans and he trains them himself, their battle strategies are improving with time so it all just makes things entertaining for me." he returned the sword to its rightful place. "I haven't spared anyone since day."

"Klaus…" Caroline chewed the inside of her lower lip not sure how to tell him what she had to, however her chance would be delayed because Finn rushed inside of the room looking for Klaus.

"We found a nest." he informed his brother.

Without a second to waste Klaus left taking the big sword with him and Caroline could only stay behind thinking of a good way to tell him what she knew.

* * *

The hours went by slowly and Caroline didn't have much to keep busy, it was strange not having a list of things to do every day and breaking that routine so abruptly so she divided her time between a walk in the garden, a little reorganization of his office and a careful inspection of every painting in the house.

When she was done with her art appreciation Caroline sat down right in the middle of the staircase, she rested her elbows on top of her knees and her chin in her hands and glanced at the door.

It would take another hour for the door to move and before she made anything out of it a big red blur rushed down the staircase.

Finn welcomed a worried Sage with a kiss.

"Are you all right?" she sprinted her hand across his face.

"You know that Nik does all the killing." he joked resting his forehead against hers. "I'm only there to drive."

Sage laughed softly and relieved that he was ok, she knew that they were excellent fighters but a lover's heart is always a restless one.

Caroline watched it all from the staircase exactly as she was before and it surprised her that there wasn't a big sigh coming from her as she witnessed the romantic meeting, nevertheless what even surprised her more was that the couple left before Klaus arrived.

In fact, where was his welcoming party?

Caroline straightened herself, no one was waiting for him, not even Elijah, who she hadn't seen all day but still…

The movement by the door alerted her to Klaus entering the house and she was affected by what her eyes saw, his face was all smeared with dry blood and his shirt was full of stains and small cuts, the sword was still dripping with blood that he trailed the floor with and he stopped by the staircase bemused to see someone upon his arrival.

"Are you hurt?" Caroline awkwardly asked the first thing that came to mind.

"No…" Klaus made a circle with the sword on the floor like he was uneasy with the situation.

"That's good." The awkwardness was here to stay and Caroline clasped her lips uneasily.

"Yes…" he dropped his eyebrows and licked is lips, obviously he didn't get the question asked frequently.

Caroline stood as soon as he started walking and she shot after him curious to see what he was going to do next, he went straight to the Temple and once there she stayed behind while he knelt in front of the iron piece located in the middle of the room.

"You can come closer if you want to." Klaus informed her.

Respectfully she knelt next to him without talking, her big blue eyes were sponges taking everything from the way that he used the oil storaged inside of a small bottle to clean the sword to the way that he seemed to be saying an inner prayer as he did so.

It was so out of the ordinary to ever picture Klaus Mikaelson actually paying respect to his kills but then again it really wasn't, if she thought about it meticulously, he was born in a different time when rituals and beliefs were important and he had this deep connection to his family which meant that he was detached only from the things that didn't cause any interest in him and he reported his kills with a wise ancient feel to it, like old Samurais did, there was almost honor in it and Caroline found that unique, however she was actively explaining the behavior of a murderer.

With skill Klaus turned the sword around and used the cloth to clean the rest of the blood, when he was done he took the sword with both hands and left it on the small stand with a tiny nod of his head, through it all Caroline wasn't making a single sound to disrupt the ritual.

Aware of her kindness Klaus turned his head to look at her. "They gave a good fight." he told her.

"Klaus... I need to tell you something." she paved her way.

"How were you turned?" he asked her again.

Caroline breathed out the smallest sigh. "You are very persistent…"

His smile appeared which was bizarre to watch taking into consideration that his scruff was all red-ish from the dried blood.

"Damon broke into my house the day after I left him and after he forced me to drink his blood, he snapped my neck." she was able to tell him without all that pain hovering over her like before. "After that I was irrevocably sired to him and my real inferno started."

"I wish I hadn't taken his heart out, I should have used a sword which would allow me to keep his soul forever." he said in a low truly sorrowful voice.

"I wouldn't want to be in here if Damon's soul was around to haunt me." she had enough grim memories of him as it was.

"I wouldn't want to trade Damon's soul for that."

"For what Klaus?" she was resilient as well.

"Your company, sweetheart." he simply said.

Caroline wanted to call him out on a lie but wanting his company was also a sin she could see herself committing, she liked talking to him and that he listened without a monumental dirty purpose behind it.

As she landed her eyes on the sword, she was offered a better look at it and what a sight it was, none of the amazing art distributed around the house resembled the intricate lines that formed the art on the hilt and like a little kid asking for permission she slowly guided her stare towards him, when he nodded with a smile she touched the lines lightly.

"What does it mean?" she knew the significance was important.

"It's the symbol of my father's clan." he rested his hand over hers so that he could guide her fingers.

They slid down a single line and then as he made her outline a small circle she realized there was a drawing that stood out among all the other lines combined together. "A wolf?" she asked unsure.

"My father was an Alpha." he said wrapping his free hand around the blade and turning the sword around.

On the other side Caroline distinctively could tell that there was the letter _M_ carved into the steel of the hilt.

"My other father was Mikael, the one I hated and who execrated me back."

Caroline outlined every single line in the hilt, then she moved her fingertips down the sword and touched the cold steel like she was absorbing history and a bit of every kill that he ever made, just as she was gliding her finger down she cut herself on the blade and hid her bleeding finger in her mouth. "It's sharp." she complained with her finger pressed against her lips.

"Do you know how to handle a sword?" he asked her amused.

Caroline shook her head.

"Would you like to learn?"

She slowly nodded positively.

"Tomorrow then, today I'm weary and in need of a long relaxing bath." he stood up ready to leave for his bedroom.

"Klaus, before you go I really need to tell you something."

He waited by the door for her earnest words.

"Damon had a side-business that no one knew about and he was selling guns to the rebels." Caroline stood up to be on the same level than Klaus. "And he met with Marcel more than once so I know for a fact that he was financing the slayers."

Klaus nodded without much of a reaction. "I'm going to have a very long bath…" he easily smiled at her. "Save me a seat at dinner."

Caroline was confused. "Don't you have anything to say about what I just told you?"

"It doesn't change anything between us, love."

She frowned severely at him. "I could have important information that could help you in this war."

"That's not why you are here, Caroline." he said already from the hallway.

She crossed her arms with a huff, he was seriously playing with her emotions.

Caroline froze, emotions...

When was the last time she had those, when was the last time she cried with jarring pain or that she burst out in anger?

She looked around the room harbouring so many souls, maybe hers wasn't lost after all.

* * *

With a single shake, all of her curls bounced back into place and as he stepped closer to her on the balcony he couldn't help the nippy remark.

"For someone who keeps all of her mirrors hidden, you surely look perfect." he complimented her on the chosen dress, yet simple the elegant light-grey number left no flaws at display.

"There's been enough introspection for one day already." she asked him for a break.

"Agreed." he handed her a glass of the same thing that he was drinking.

Caroline sipped on the blood relishing too much on the fine taste of it.

"Today was a good day." he decided to call it a wrap.

"I haven't smiled." she impassively placed a damper on his optimistic label.

He lifted his eyes from above the rim of his glass. "I meant overall." he grumbled.

She motioned her head in a nod. "And here I was… thinking that you were the type who never gives up."

Klaus squinted at her but she was on her way down the staircase already, he desperately tried to catch a glimpse of her face in any reflection but the frames didn't give away any signs of it, until realization hit him like a fist across the face. "Was that a joke?" he asked walking after her fast. "Caroline?" he called without a response.

Damn it, he could almost swear that she was having a rebellious giggle inside of her.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

Glory Box – _John Martyn_


	4. Newborn

Today had been the first morning so far that Caroline didn't have company for breakfast and she enjoyed the quietness of the moment without hurry, today she even had an apple instead of a few grapes and she had a full glass of blood as well.

It was clearly an improvement on how much her stomach was tolerating now that she reeducated herself to eat more often and the results were beginning to surface, she felt stronger and that constant fatigue was slowly starting to dissipate.

These were the only thoughts that she had on her way to his office and that was as well a change from her usual loud inner turmoil, things were looking up this morning but she found the office empty.

"Niklaus went on a small journey out of San Francisco." Elijah informed her as he walked by the office.

Caroline spun around quickly and followed him, he was holding a monumental amount of papers and she rushed to open another door for him as he attempted the impossible, even for a vampire.

"Thank you." he sighed moved by the gesture.

Cordially Caroline showed him the usual half-smile that lived on her lips. "I don't mean to be inappropriate but it looks like a tornado devastated this room."

Elijah looked at the chaos that went as far as having two stacks of files on each side of an overcrowded desk, when he dropped the papers he was holding on top of one of the paper towers Caroline almost flashed to stop a disaster as the pile started trembling but thankfully it only leaned against the big clutter on the desk, it was still for now and she faced Elijah as he started talking.

"None of them likes to pay for a thing but it felt wrong to me that we would compel humans who need money to survive so I started a business and the Council pays us for the services we provide, it's an open affair and we are able to declare everything on taxes."

Caroline was impressed and she widened her eyes a bit. "You pay for the good life that you have."

He gravely exhaled. "It was a wonderful principle until Niklaus corrupted it."

She easily pulled her eyebrows together. "He doesn't play by the rules?"

Elijah held his hands apart. "On the contrary." he turned towards the desk. "He took my words literally so he asks for a receipt for every item that he buys and he spends a great deal of money." he eyed the bills with gloom. "I genuinely thought that it would be easier to handle all the paperwork."

"Why don't you have someone to take care of it?"

Elijah narrowed his lips. "We tried but none of the workers lasted for long…"

Caroline was going through a file. "Klaus charged a man who hired him to chop of someone's arm?" she slowly looked at Elijah.

"He later accepted money from the target to execute the one who firstly hired him… I swear that he does it only to see how far he can push my patience."

She had taken a different file now. "The cars are deductible because they are in the name of the Brotherhood, the same goes for your suits and I think that even the guns can be declared."

"Do you have a degree in this?"

Caroline chuckled barely audible. "No, the Salvatores had an accountant and he would be the only person I would see sometimes during months except for the family and we became friends."

"From what I've learned so far about your time with that family, I have to say that I'm repulsed by those of my kind who use their power so wrongfully, I can't imagine what you have endured but I feel deeply revolted about it." he assured her very serious.

"I'm sure that others had it worse." she simply said.

Elijah understood that she wasn't going to extend the conversation further and his wise deduction directed him in the right path. "You appear more comfortable around these papers than I ever was… would I be out of line to ask you to handle them from now on?"

Caroline liked the idea. "Keeping things in order gives me a certain peace."

"I would provide you with a salary and benefits." he took a professional stance.

"A bag of B-positive once a week?" she bravely tried to negotiate her benefits.

With a slow gesture Elijah slid his hands inside of his pockets. "My concession was focused more on the lines of a car of your choice."

"My favorite blood is payment enough."

He smiled with an admiration for what wasn't common to find these days. "Make it a special delivery of two blood bags a week and we have an agreement."

Caroline nodded at him once with determination. "We have a deal then."

He stayed in the room for a little longer but instantly she delved into her work and started sorting out what she knew was a priority from all the silly barbs that Klaus left for Elijah so he quietly left her alone.

Surely hours went by but she was engrossed with her task that anything happening outside of this room wasn't really a thing in her mind so when Sage touched her shoulder she was so startled by her that a bunch of paper sheets flew out of her hands.

"I'm sorry." Sage crouched to pick up the papers. "I called you but you didn't respond."

"I…" Caroline was still trying to stop her shaking hand as she carried on. "I'm still very jumpy."

Sage countered with warmth in her smile. "I will be more careful next time."

"I started working today for the family." Caroline explained why she was surrounded by so many little pyramids of paper.

Joyfully Sage took the files Caroline was holding in her hands. "That means that you now have fresh money that needs to be spent."

"I've only been an employee for a few hours…" Caroline frowned when Sage handed her a huge summer hat.

"Evidently you need a break and it's a stunning bright sunny day outside."

"Won't Elijah be upset that I will slack on my very first day?"

Sage laughed with softness. "Your employer is a kitten who only beheads bad slayers." Mischievously she took Caroline's arm. "And he has a soft spot for educated beautiful people who speak very eloquently for their age."

Caroline knew a lost battle when she saw one and it was obvious that Sage was very eager to take her somewhere. "Where are you taking me?"

"Shopping, of course." Sage placed a beautiful cream hat over her torrid red hair.

Caroline nervously looked at the black convertible waiting for them in the driveway. "I have so many questions about this."

"This house is not a prison and there's no reason for you to stay here all day." Sage took her seat at the driver's place.

"Did Klaus put you up to this?" Caroline sat on the passenger side.

Sage started the car with a smile. "He was planning on taking you out today but a nasty group of slayers attacked a known café where vampires used to gather so Finn and Klaus are tracking them down."

"Are the public assails frequent?"

"The dislike for our kind is well known but everything gained a different proportion when Marcel started turning rebels into vampires, his newborns are a hazard that causes more harm than normal vampires yet we are the ones being chased and murdered for some reason."

"People fear what they can't explain and the tendency to generalize comes from that paranoia." Caroline mused with an attentive eye on the beautiful landscape as they left the property.

"I originate from an era when humans respected vampires and cautiously feared us." There was a bit of nostalgia in Sage's voice.

"What was your favorite period?"

Sage's face became lit with a grin. "I loved Europe in the early centuries, culture was exploding everywhere and I got to play around with costumes, much to Finn's glee." she cutely laughed. "It was also the first time that the family travelled all together and we all have very special memories of that epoch." Sage laughed again with a small shake of her head. "We stayed together for 40 years straight and to this day we call Nik's statues, _the statues of doom_, because after he finished the last one we drifted apart and the family was never together again under the same roof." she eased up on her big smile. "Until Henrik died, that is."

"What statues?" Caroline asked puzzled.

"The four statues that are placed in the foyer were all made by Klaus and he worked on each one of them for 10 years, not that he couldn't have finished them in a month or so but he's a perfectionist artist…" she growled in a mock. "If you ask him, that's what he's going to say but we all know that he just loved having the family around so every time he had a statue almost finished he would destroy it and start over, claiming that there was something wrong with it although none of us ever saw a flaw in them."

Caroline had to look away to the landscape because she was baffled out of words.

"Anyway…" Sage pushed her foot down and gave extra speed to the car. "I'm taking you over to this really amazing store where I buy most of my clothes and then I was thinking that maybe we could go get an ice cream... or a latte."

"I don't want to take much of your time." Caroline sounded resigned, as if Sage simply turned around and took her back to the house it would be ok as well.

"Klaus asked me to take you out of the house but I rejoiced with the chance to do it myself, the only thing better than shopping is having company while we try silky things."

Caroline knew that it would be nice to add something now but instead she went back to her lukewarm state.

It was a skin that she was comfortable wearing and she didn't change much during the hours that they spent at the store, she wasn't enthusiast about the big amount of dresses that Sage asked her to try on but she wasn't exactly bothered by it either.

Sage was nice and lively and Caroline enjoyed her sassy comments about the least pretty items in the store but that aspect of her personality was nothing compared to her determination, Caroline tried stopping her but Sage bought everything that Caroline touched.

* * *

"You have to let me do something to pay for all that." Caroline stared at all the bags in the back seat.

Sage flicked her hand in the air. "It's girl code, nothing warms the heart more than wearing something new."

Caroline wasn't about to refute that, Rebekah's clothes were dashing but they weren't hers and Caroline missed that feeling of owning something that wasn't dictated by Damon, although she tried everything that Sage handed her back at the store the other one only truly picked the items that Caroline quietly glanced at.

"Thank you for everything Sage." In a way Caroline incorporated everyone in the family in the same sentence. "This last week has been a gift."

There was an ice cream stand down the street and on the way there they had a heartfelt conversation.

"Before Bonnie secured his heart, Kol had a vast list of girls, they all came and went faster than we could memorize a name and Rebekah doesn't take any relationship serious after Marcel so there wasn't anyone outside of the family frequenting the house for the longest time. Bonnie is practically part of the family now but she doesn't live at the house and she only comes by when Kol is in San Francisco, so when Finn told me that Klaus brought a girl home I squealed like it was raining blood." Sage admitted.

"That doesn't happen often?"

Sage threw a perky look at Caroline. "The raining blood part or the part where I talked about Klaus bringing a girl home?"

Caroline frowned, she wasn't sure why she was asking about Klaus and his romantic policy. "I think that we've already established that Klaus makes a lot of blood flow."

"It's hard to get noticed by a man like Niklaus Mikaelson, he's not the slightest enthralled by uncomplicated eye-candy."

"I've asked him every day what he wants from me but he only answers vaguely so I know that he doesn't have a straight answer or maybe I'm not asking him in the right way…" Caroline had a frustrated slump of her shoulders.

"Klaus is way too complex to describe in words, he's different from everyone else in the family. He's moody and stubborn and when he's not happy we've all learned to stay away from his line of sight because he tends to lash out in blood, now Elijah is the one who really understands him to the tiniest detail and the ongoing joke that they have between them is actually a perfect trait of Klaus'. He is literal and if you ask him something he will answer accurately, despite how atrocious, obscene or gruesome it might be. He can be brutal in his speech but he doesn't hold back on anything so really Caroline, if he hasn't answered your question yet, it's because he doesn't know what to tell you."

Caroline pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled on it, that was a scary way of looking at things, she wasn't making the wrong questions, he just didn't have any right answers for her.

"What will it be?" Sage pointed behind her. "Ice cream or frozen yogurt?"

"Frozen yogurt!" Caroline felt her mouth water in anticipation.

Sage beamed with a swift turn of her heels, she rushed to the stand while Caroline waited in the other side of the street.

Closely to where she was standing there was a small urban park and she casually looked there, without a single purpose really but her eyes crossed paths with some random man, it wasn't deliberate in any way but it fired the man for action and he neared Caroline with a depraved smile.

"Hey sexy legs." he launched a clear-cut hunt as soon as he was close enough to really admire her beauty.

Caroline didn't move her head, she didn't even breathe and ignored him altogether despite the fact that he was making a close circle around her.

"Why are you being so shy now? You were checking me out before but now you won't even look at me?"

Caroline searched for his face taken aback. "I was certainly not checking you out."

"Hmm…" he moaned with a sly lick of his lips. "That's a nice voice, I wouldn't mind hearing it moaning my name."

"Please go away." Caroline asked him repulsed.

"Easy there doll." he laughed at her after a small look around. "Don't make a scene, I was just complimenting you. You are a very pretty girl." his eyes fell on her cleavage.

She wasn't wearing a revealing dress and still she felt irked by the way that he was looking at her.

"Will you look at that ass..."

The loud comment made the man turn around and Caroline moved her head to look at Sage, the red-haired was making this odd pleased sound and she stopped inches away from the filthy man.

"What did you just say to me?" he asked Sage with a perplexed expression as she bluntly winked at him.

"I said that you have a nice ass and…" she dropped her eyes to the middle of his legs. "That's not all… is that all nature or did you magically did something there?"

"You're crazy…" the man cleared his throat with an uncomfortable lowering of his voice.

"Come one big guy, why are you being so shy now? You were hitting on my friend so obviously you were asking for it." Sage never lowered her voice, instead she spoke loud and playfully. "You look kind of flustered there little man."

"Please…" he scoffed her with a huff. "I am not _that_."

"You have a really attractive face and I hope you don't take this as an offence but I just can't help myself, you're so pretty that I want to eat you all up." her eyes changed into the red that matched her hair.

The man stepped back scared.

Sage smiled revealing her fangs. "Do you think that you are man enough for a woman like me?"

"Leave me alone." The man whispered with a trembling voice.

"No." Sage had one more step towards him. "You run before I turn your jugular into a straw."

He ran away so fast that he slipped and fell but he recovered fast and ran to the park without looking back.

"I got you the strawberry one." Sage handed one of the cups to Caroline.

"That was really cool." Caroline said enchanted.

Sage closed her eye at Caroline in a wink. "Men are intimidated if you turn the crass flirt around to them and then if you add a little fang love they just flee like rats."

Caroline opened her mouth to warn her but Sage sensed that the prick was back and she opened her bag to take something out of it, the moron was running with a branch to use as a stake on her and Sage turned to him simply using a Taser gun to immobilize him.

The man stopped with the electrocution she inflected on him and fell to his knees while Sage ate her frozen yogurt nonchalantly, he had a few spasms on the floor while she stepped over him with her thin heels.

"Where were we...?" she asked Caroline who walked by the man stunned.

"We were talking about how awesome you are." Caroline started eating with a small rebellious smile.

* * *

They arrived to the house in a good mood but Caroline felt an expected new spark of merriment when she noticed another car in the driveway and when Sage offered to leave the bags in the guest room she didn't objectify, once alone she drifted effortlessly towards his office.

She had many things to tell Klaus today and she was twiddling her fingers considering that she might tell him that she somewhat missed his company during breakfast when she was pitilessly pinned against the wall.

Caroline gasped out of shock and stared back at a pair of ruthless blue eyes that were quite similar to Klaus' but judging her immensely in opposition to his.

"Why are you wearing a dress that looks exactly as my favorite casual dress?" The blonde asked her with a snarling voice.

"If you are Rebekah, then this is your dress." Caroline said with a flickering thought about her death at the hands of a beautiful woman.

There was a humming angry snarl erupting from the woman keeping her against the wall and then a change in her eyes that truly left Caroline shaken but that was all that there was to it as she moved too fast for Caroline to keep track, one second she had a hand pressing her chest and then she had two hands framing her neck preparing to snap Caroline's neck.

The pain and the snapping sound was something Caroline could anticipate, if it wasn't for another violent fast blur that made her blink and feel the hands around her neck whooshing away from her, the sound of the other woman being slammed against the wall wasn't as brutal to take in as the image of the owner of such move and it wasn't only Caroline who looked at Klaus dazed.

"Hello Nik." Rebekah said with a smile that was forced out of her guts.

He didn't speak, he only lowered his chin as a warning.

"I'm very protective of my clothes." she cringed out the words.

"She's not to be bothered." Klaus kept his warning stare.

Rebekah squinted at him. "What earned her such a special treatment?"

"She's a guest that you will treat with utmost respect."

For a second she pretended to be unfamiliar with the guest but Elijah had told her all about the new darling in the house and Rebekah wasn't happy about it. "I don't like her."

"I didn't ask for your opinion on the matter Rebekah and you will not go against me on this."

"She could be a spy, you know? Elijah told me that she was Damon's pet so how do I know that she's not here to gather intel on us? I heard that Damon was tight with his brother, I wouldn't risk keeping a woman in the house who can easily go back to Stefan and tell him all about us."

"Stop talking Rebekah." Klaus coldly said.

"One of us needs to think with our upper brain because I was almost turned into a marshmallow in London." she pushed him away raging. "The rebels now have white stakes and the one I captured said that it comes from an ancient white tree that Stefan Salvatore found in Virginia." Rebekah launched her eyes at Caroline. "Most precisely in a small town called Mystic Falls."

It was the first time that Caroline was hearing about this. "I don't know anything about a white tree."

"I can make you dig a little deeper for wakefulness." Rebekah was going to flung herself at Caroline but was again trapped against the wall by Klaus' hand.

"That will be enough Rebekah." Klaus cautioned her with a harsh tone.

"You know nothing about her." Rebekah shouted at him angrily. "Why are you keeping some stranger in our home?"

"Enough." Klaus yelled at her.

"You're not acting coherently." Rebekah said between teeth.

"Keep your distance from Caroline." he ordered her to step down.

"We could have another Marcel scenario in our hands." she tried to make sense with him.

"Because now I'm suddenly a heaving version of you?" he snapped with another yell.

"From where I'm standing there's not that much of a staggering difference Nik."

Elijah arrived right in the middle of the nasty fight with parted arms. "What's with all the unreasonable yelling?"

Klaus looked at him once but had a second look in his way as he noticed that Caroline wasn't with them anymore.

* * *

Caroline was sitting in bed with her knees close to her chest and she didn't move when he came inside after knocking once on the door-frame, she only followed him with her eyes as he came closer and sat on the bed with her.

"That was something that I wanted to avoid around you." he clasped his lips upset that he lost control and yelled in front of her.

Caroline remained in silence, only her eyes were actively moving, outlining every expression that his face conveyed.

"But Rebekah is home now and we tend to argue frequently and not in a civilized way." he kept his eyes on the bed cover and rested his palm there.

Caroline landed her eyes on his hand, it was at her reach and he sounded like someone about to send her away to safety or something close to that and it made her grimace. "I'm not scared of you Klaus."

He looked up at her promptly and there was nothing but honesty in her eyes, he found that a bit surprising although it had been his goal from the start.

Caroline left the bed under his gaze, she headed for the biggest mirror in the bedroom and slowly picked up the sheet covering it. "I might react to loud fights by walking away but what truly scares me is what hides behind this."

He stood up as she started pulling the sheet and he stayed behind her as she tensely turned to look at her reflection in the mirror.

"What do you see Caroline?" he asked her steadily urging her to keep looking at her image.

The light inside of the room wasn't too strong but it was enough to give light to all of her dark demons and she started by touching the area under her right eye. "I see the first time that Damon gave me a black eye… we fought because he found my skirt too short and slutty and he slapped me so hard that my cheek was black for a week." Caroline remembered vividly how she excused him because maybe he was right and that skirt was too raunchy. "I see an open lip..." she touched her lips but closed her hand in a fist struggling with the surfacing images.

"I want to know everything that you see." Klaus softly spoke closer to her back.

"One night I told him that I didn't want to have sex so he went downstairs and got drunk, when he came back I didn't fight him but he was so harsh and he hurt me so much that night that in order to stop myself from yelling the entire time I bit my lip so hard that it tore under my teeth." she tried to collect her agonizing emotions. "All I see is scars and bruises left from all the things that Damon did to me." she sprinted her hand across her neck. "If I look longer at the mirror all I see is my body covered in bite marks." she lowered her hand to touch her wrist. "Or the restrains from his play nights that left me impaired."

Klaus moved away from her back and went to the balcony doors, as he pulled the two pieces apart a bright lazy flush of light came inside of the bedroom, it wasn't enough to lit all of it but strategically formed a glow behind her and as Klaus walked back to the mirror he smiled. "This is how I see you."

Caroline's emotions pulled a nasty effect on her, the trick of light gave her this special light, like she was glowing and she nearly liked what she saw, she was almost beautiful with the sunlight hitting her curls and creating this halo of light around her but she knew better. "That's not me." she stepped away from the light and stood in a darker side of the room.

Klaus turned the mirror to her with a single motion of his hand. "I still like what I see in the dark sweetheart."

She chose not to look at the scarred image of herself this time. "Why?"

"Because to me your strength is made of tenfold adamant."

"You killed Damon and that's why I'm here, I didn't do anything so why do you see strength when all I see is how broken I am?"

"That's not what I said love." he carefully paced closer to her. "I see the same damage that you see but I wasn't the one who uncovered the mirror just now, you did that on your own."

Klaus didn't take the weight of his words with him as he exited the room, he left that with her so that Caroline could grasp how many little steps she had taken on her own during her short stay at the house.

* * *

"You are a very disconcerting man." she reached him before he started going down the staircase.

Klaus looked back surprised that her introspection had been so short-lived. "I adore when people try to define me."

"Are you scared that someone might get it right someday?" she stole another long glance at the statues as they walked by them.

Klaus chuckled amused. "If I wanted to be defined I would be a random name on a dictionary."

"There's nothing random about you Klaus."

She declared too fast which meant that she hadn't thought about her reply this time and that pleased Klaus so much that he looked at her with a big smile. "A compliment extendable to you as well since Elijah told me about his new _paper organizer_."

They had reached the Temple and Caroline walked straight to the beautiful Viking sword. "I like keeping things in order and at least it will be a way to make myself useful around here."

He noticed the way that she was trying to size how heavy the sword would be. "Do you still wish for me to teach you how to handle this?" Effortlessly he held the sword like it was made of wood instead of potent steel.

"I want to learn." Caroline said with a new emerging sparkling twitch in her eyes.

"And I want to teach you but you require an open mind for that." he returned the sword to its rightful place. "There's a deep-rooted history attached to this sword and you need to be instructed up here…" he touched his temple. "Before I teach you how to use these." he showed her his hands.

"What do I have to do?" she mumbled the words out utterly cheerless, she was fearful of where he was steering her now.

"You need to stop with the belittle essay." he plainly said.

"That's all I have to do?" if she was at her finest, she would roll her eyes now so hard that they would shift back to her skull.

"It's very easy to do, is it not?" he spiked her with a smile.

Blankly she looked at him and without a single emotion crossing her features.

"Are you screaming on the inside?" he asked her in a low intense voice.

"So high-pitched that it's making me deaf." she turned her back on him and walked away on the verge of tears.

* * *

Caroline found refuge in the garden gazebo and she sat with the sun hitting her back and warming her cold skin, the sun would soon start fading away to give way to the moon but she was involved with her tangled-up thoughts and with a force that was equally devastating as it was clear, the short story delved before her eyes.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Damon asked as soon as she closed the front door.

Caroline knew that he was home because she saw his car in the driveway but she smiled to soften him up and quickly went to give him a kiss, he was sitting at the chair near the mantel and she sat on his lap because she knew that he liked that, all the while she tried to hide how shaky she was.

"I'm waiting on an answer Caroline." he insisted after she kissed him.

"I had a meeting and I didn't know that it would take so long." she informed him sweetly.

He squinted for more information.

Caroline opened her bag and showed him the letter that she received from the famous art school. "I sent them a portfolio with the paintings I did in high-school and they really liked them so they asked me to go in for an interview and…" her lips opened up to a big proud smile. "They really liked me Damon and they said that I could assist a few classes this year without being enlisted and next year I could apply to get an art scholarship and I…" she went quiet as soon as Damon forced her to stand as he left the chair.

"You did all this behind my back?"

Caroline shook her head a little. "I didn't mean to."

"You didn't mean to send them a full portfolio of your work and to leave the house to go on interviews and to plan an entire new life for you?"

She forced her lips tight and had a deep breath, this was already turning into a thing.

"You moved in so that we could be together Caroline." he shifted his angry tone to a soft one.

"During the days you're never here Damon." she breathed out.

"I have things to do!" he snapped as quickly as his mood swings happened. "My father is always demanding these idiotic things from me and you know how hard it is to please the old man."

"It's just college Damon, I will still be here most of the day and I just want to do something with my life." she parted her arms bothered. "Before I moved in, I had plans and goals that I wanted for my life and now all I do is take care of the house and wait for you to come home."

"Now being with me is a burden?" he dragged the words out on purpose, he was ticked off as hell.

"That's not what I'm saying…"

"Where is all this coming from? I bet that this is the work of one of those hippie friends that you have."

"I don't go out with anyone besides you Damon." she sadly said.

"Because they were bad friends and they were influencing you in a way that I didn't like." he reminded her.

"I really want this Damon, please let me to do this. I'm going crazy locked up all day inside of this house." the desperation was starting to eat her up.

He smiled waving the letter in his hand. "This isn't going anywhere silly-head. They offered you a few classes just to keep your hopes up but scholarships are really hard to get and it's not like the Frida spirit descended on you."

"The Dean thought that I was better than her." she said out of spite, although the woman had said that she was a bright new talent that needed to be explored.

"He was probably trying to get into your panties." Damon grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"Because that's what I'm good for, right?" she asked him with a clench of her teeth.

"It's one of your many talents." he cruelly smiled.

Caroline turned away from him mad.

Damon laughed as a reaction. "You are so touchy Caroline, I was only joking."

Painfully she stopped her heated walk and faced him again. "Why are you always making me feel like I'm not good enough, that I can't do anything right?"

"Because you are here to make me happy." he started shredding her stupid letter into tiny useless pieces. "Not the other way around."

"I won't remember this in a few minutes, will I? It will be like all the other things that I know that are missing from my mind, that I know that should be there but that I can't even name." she felt the tears roll down her cheeks.

Damon flashed and cupped her face with widening eyes. "This silly thing with college never happened and now you are going upstairs and you are going to prepare a hot bath for us because I feel like feeding from you while we are surrounded by bubbles." he playfully smiled. "And you are going to love it."

With a compelling switch Caroline was all happy and loving. "I'm going upstairs and I'm going to prepare an amazing bubble bath for us."

"Count me in." he seductively brought her face closer so that he could kiss her.

* * *

Caroline lifted her eyes from the ground as Klaus' footsteps pulled her away from the nightmare.

"You're wasting your time with me Klaus, I can't snap back to who I was before Damon because his voice is always there saying that I'm stupid and that if I can't make him happy then I'm not doing my job right."

Klaus sat next to her with that warm smile splattered on his face.

Caroline forcefully half-closed her eyes with a hint of a scowl forming inside of her.

"What are you thinking now?" he kept his piercing blue eyes glued on hers.

"That I want to slap that smile out of your face." she said in another involuntary sprint.

"Then perhaps you should act on it… after all I can take it." he didn't deviate an inch from his perfect smile. "I have hard cheekbones."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she looked away from him.

It made his smile grow because that was the Caroline that he was digging for. "Your worth is settled by you and no one else Caroline."

She faced him again quickly. "Teach me how to fight, I want to punch things."

He laughed so richly that he threw his head back and his chest shook with it.

"Or slice through things with a sword, I'm really not that picky at this stage." she assured him of her intentions.

He calmed down his laughter as he looked at her. "We need to silence that vile voice inside of your head before I trust you with a sharp weapon."

"Ok." she felt resolute about it. "Train me Klaus, teach me how to slay my demons."

"It's not going to happen over night."

He left the advice but she could tell that he was going to do it. "I know that but I want to be like you, I want to be in control the entire time and not be submissive even after he died."

"You can't be like me love, you don't have my cheekbones." Cheekily he lifted his eyebrows.

"If you don't teach me then Damon will win and your rescue will be in vain because Damon will always have the last saying in every action and every word that comes out of my mouth."

Her sharp serious response finally moved him and when he stood up, she mimicked him and waited curious for whatever he had installed for her.

"I will need to touch you." he prepared her.

Caroline nodded, catching her breath as he positioned himself behind her back.

With a careful motion he placed a hand over her tummy. "The first step is to get a grip on your mind so I need you to focus only on my voice and nothing aside from that."

She couldn't help the nervous gulp down that ensued but closed her eyes and tried to latch on to his voice.

"Place your feet up to shoulder width apart."

Caroline moved her feet so.

"I'm going to lower my hand." he warned her and stopped just below her navel. "Now I will press my hand against your lower abdomen and you will breathe in and out through your nose slowly." Klaus rested his cheek against hers so that he could whisper into her ear without interference. "The breathing is the most important technique to master so you need to do it from this area." he pushed his hand a bit further against her abdomen.

Slowly Caroline did as he asked and started taking deep and long breaths with her lips loosely together and her mind locking in with his distinctive deep voice as her only conductive force.

When he felt that her breathing was becoming normal and without effort, he eased on the pressure of his hand and carried on with his teaching. "Focus on your feet now and push away the tension that you have in there and then work your way up, slowly relaxing every inch of your body." he held her hand smiling when he felt it go slightly limp.

Klaus felt her body responding to the command that she was sending from her brain and slowly he moved his free hand to the back of her neck, he pushed the wall of curls to the side and pressed the top of her spine, she responded with a long and deep gasp and all that tension build up there disappeared under a knowing circle of his thumb.

"Keep your concentration because that's your balance and keep breathing in and out." he asked as he started moving one of her hands to her navel level and the other higher than her head, as he did so he looked at her feet. "Remember your balance." he adjusted his movements as she arched her leg a bit and rotated her foot to follow his lead.

Klaus smiled satisfied and repeated the movement until she was the one flowing the moves while he became the weaker driving force. "One of the main concepts of _T'ai Chi _is to root yourself. Just imagine that roots are growing out from underneath your feet and that you are a part of it." he moved a hand down her hip and gently pulled her leg up, as her knee folded he lifted her left hand to balance her up. "Imagine a cool summer breeze and that your limbs are branches in the wind…" he pressed his lips to her ear. "Let go of everything Caroline."

Smoothly she followed her instinct and began a series of movements that weren't stiff but natural and when he pulled away from her she did a few moves alone, until she rotated too fast and clumsily lost her balance.

Klaus secured her against his chest while she opened her eyes and naturally smiled at him, it was a magnificent sight for his eyes because it reached her blue eyes and they sparkled at him with a smear of green that he hadn't noticed in them before.

"That was amazing." she said out loud what he was thinking himself.

"The Chinese say that T'ai Chi has healing qualities."

"Teach me more of that."

She didn't seem to realize that she was actually smiling at him and he chose to savor the small sin by keeping the moment to himself. "It's almost night and Sage would be crossed if we missed dinner."

Caroline looked away from him and into a stunning sunset, she quietly moaned cherishing the beauty of it and remained oblivious until that pressing reality hit her, in a slow motion she moved her head back to him and lowered her eyes to the chest nesting her, she looked up at him ineptly and straightened her body away from the reach of the arms that had been harboring her.

He wanted to hide the smirk but everything about her expression right now was precious and adorable, with an understanding of his cunning personality emerging Caroline closed her eyes almost to a full and glared at him.

It was a perfect scowl and she turned away slowly so that it would burn him into shame, still it had little effect as he found himself laughing in the gazebo once he was alone.

* * *

It could be a coincidence but her name was Rebekah and she was walking out of her bedroom at the exact same time that Caroline was leaving the guest room.

"Nice change of clothes." Rebekah called out the other's choice to wear a flowery white sleeveless dress with a denim vest.

"Thank you for lending me your clothes before." Caroline was polite but she was really happy that she now had her own clothes to wear.

"Reward me with a moment." Rebekah suddenly was in front of Caroline just as she was about to reach the end of the hallway.

"I'm not a spy." Caroline guaranteed.

"Sadly I don't believe you." Rebekah menacingly approached the other. "I don't trust little innocent beings that look virginal all the time." she growled at Caroline inches away from leaping at her.

Without notice Caroline used Sage's Taser gun on Rebekah, she pressed it on the Original's neck and squeezed the trigger electrocuting her.

Although the stun of being attacked was harsher than the pain, Rebekah cursed. "Bitch!"

"Forbes." Caroline said with narrowed eyes and hard lips.

"What?" Rebekah looked at her staggered.

"My name is Caroline Forbes." Caroline answered decisively.

Rebekah snarled in a raw reaction, Caroline had the gun in front her face pointed up and she pressed the trigger again, teasing the other with a discharge of energy that formed a little blue line in front of her eyes.

"Are we making new friends?" Elijah went by Caroline with a mild judging at Rebekah.

"I would like that." Caroline addressed Rebekah with caution, always keeping her gun ready for use again.

Rebekah shook her straight long hair. "We can scratch the innocent fairy look from the list then."

"I don't know a thing about a tree but I can tell you everything that I know about Damon and his association with the Slayers." Caroline slowly lowered the gun. "And I love your shoes."

Rebekah cracked her big mean face. "They are my favorite."

"I'm not here to make enemies Rebekah, I just want to heal myself and to get my life back."

"Are we ready for dinner, ladies?" Finn reached the two girls clueless about the ongoing tension.

Rebekah took his arm after pulling the straps of her top back into place. "I need a scandalously big glass of wine."

Klaus was arriving to the party now and stopped next to Caroline with a look at the weapon in her hand. "I wasn't aware that this was a medieval kind of dinner."

Seriously she looked at him. "You're not a very funny person Klaus."

He pulled his head back appalled, even more as she bounced down the stairs petulantly leaving him there to lick his wounded ego. "I deeply resent that." he sulked before going after her.

Caroline giggled but cunningly rushed away before he heard it.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

What kind of man – _Florence &amp; The Machine_

Turning tables – _Adele_


	5. Consent

"I am truly speechless." Elijah muttered as he walked inside, every paper was organized and neatly placed inside of dossiers.

Everything was filed away by dates and then by relevance for the taxes and Caroline also created a section in Klaus' name, it was clear for Elijah even without looking into it that it was destined for all the rubbish that Klaus littered its way into the family's finances.

"Has Caroline burnt everything that was inside of this office?" Klaus stepped inside incredulous but also a bit suspicious that she solved the problem the easy way, at least that's how he would have handled it.

"It took her two days to sort out the mess you've made for years." Elijah had chosen a random dossier and with his careful inspection came a satisfied smile. "I no longer have to worry about mundane numbered papers." It was a relieved statement, a huge load had been taken away from his shoulders.

"What will you do now with your free time?" Klaus sneered. "Be a vampire?"

"The thought is outrageous but a possibility, I also thought that maybe I could do a little work for the Council." Elijah elegantly lifted his eyebrow at Klaus. "I still have a cad to catch, the Salvatore patriarch has left me relentless messages about the brutal assassination of his dear son Damon."

"I could kill Giuseppe." Klaus easily answered, that would be a good way to stop the messages.

Elijah saw past the juvenile poking and showed Klaus his phone instead. "Kol found an important cell of Slayers, one of the sired vampires gave us a location."

"Marcel is never in the same place for long." Klaus memorized the address.

Elijah received his phone back with a quiet smile. "Still you are going to look into it, are you not?"

"And what are you going to do today?" Klaus was half-certain that Elijah did absolutely nothing all day with the exception of reading and drinking tea.

"I will compel someone to attack Giuseppe Salvatore while he has lunch in his favorite restaurant." Elijah swiftly kept his phone inside of the inner pocket of his suit.

"I trust that there's a greater vision behind all of this." Klaus tried to keep his insolence at bay.

"You saw a pretty face at a party and the host went heartless, not only that but you exited said party with the girl in question, consequently you lied in her name, sheltered her and then proceeded to initiate her in your very exclusive martial arts field. Whilst you exponentially care only for the girl, the rest of us need to deal with the aftermath of that first starling action that was the catalyze to all of this."

"That being the moment when I saw a pretty face or the moment I acted because Damon was about to assault that pretty face?"

Elijah found a safe shelter for his hands inside of his pockets. "Nothing troubles me more than what you just voiced but our personalities still seem reversed when your usual indifference doesn't come into play when regarding Caroline."

With an easiness that was innate in him, Klaus smiled. "You've just mentioned the biggest difference between us Elijah, while you ponder… I act."

"My query remains the same, why did you act?"

It came to Klaus like a click. "Ah, I see that Rebekah has left her impression strongly on you."

"Caroline is a very lovely girl, she's polite and quiet and she's very kind with her chosen words…"

"You of all people should not take her kindness for weakness." Klaus interrupted him before there was a dreadful but.

Elijah strictly chose a stand. "I enjoy having Caroline at the house."

"She's not here for anyone's enjoyment." Klaus turned away irritated, ending in definitive the conversation.

Now that Rebekah was back he anticipated many of these talks and frankly he had no tolerance for them, she constantly had a saying about each of his conquests while she accepted no input whatsoever about her romantic life, until now it hadn't been a major issue for Klaus considering how all of his women were either a meal or a random lust session that he quickly forgot once the immediate need was satisfied.

Perhaps riled up by that annoyance he saw the casual meeting with Rebekah in the hallway as a sign of destiny and quickly took her arm, she responded well to the silent warning and waited until they were inside of the ballroom to defy him with a glare.

"You've been snaking your way around Elijah and his perception of Caroline." Klaus spoke as it was natural in him, terribly close to Rebekah's face.

She smiled at him with the same defiance that she showed before. "She bought her survival during our first meeting but I will not grant her anything else, she doesn't have my trust and she shouldn't be in this house taking advantage of your brief enchantment with her long legs."

"Watch that thin ice Rebekah…" He didn't have to move an inch closer to intimidate her further.

"I'm not a lesser who trembles before your presence."

"You are a soldier who will do as I say."

She chuckled. "I'm your sister, not a subordinate."

"You are a soldier with a frail heart and because of it I've been chasing Marcel for what seems a century now without a practical result, not only it stains my reputation it also strips your saying in any decision that I make inside of this house."

"Since when?" She gritted her teeth.

"Since you gave Marcel free access to all of our secrets and strength."

"I was betrayed as well." She chose to remind him of that.

"I had to pull a dagger out of your heart because you chose his velvet words over this family, over me."

Rebekah looked down troubled. "That's not why I don't like Caroline."

Klaus lowered his voice. "I promised you that I would kill Marcel for what he did to you and I would have severed his body in two hadn't you stepped in front of me."

"You will never understand why I did it." She looked up again with the same fire that he saw burning in her eyes the moment he pulled that dagger out of her heart.

"It seems to be a recurrent topic today." He simply left her with that as he walked away.

* * *

Caroline was really mastering the first stages of her Tai-chi training and she used the gazebo to practice because it was a place that gave her peace, she locked her wrists and moved her arms to the left expelling as she did so, her braid fell over to her left shoulder and the soft breeze tickling her exposed face felt heavenly.

Her training was done for today and Caroline bowed her head a bit to Klaus who made way to her in the garden.

"I should teach you the next set of exercises soon, you are evolving in heartbeats." He easily smiled at her while the words left his lips.

"I really like what I've learned so far, I can tell my demons to shush while I'm concentrated on meditating." She explained him calmly.

"Our next mission is to meditate without concentrating."

Caroline tucked her braid with a grazing touch. "You have an incredible taste for riddles."

"I do love when a beautiful woman compliments me." His lips oozed a subtle flirting smirk.

"It wasn't on purpose." She said again in that serious way of hers.

"And so swiftly you slay my glee." He sighed disturbed.

"Is there anything that I can do to ease your misery?" She kept the same eerie mood.

Klaus lessened his eyes. "Your humor is truly out of the ordinary."

"So you've said it before."

"It would all just sound differently if there was a smile framing it all."

"I'm bouncing on the inside." Caroline had another quiet remark.

Klaus didn't resist and laughed. "You are not like anyone I've met before."

"You've been alive since the time fire was invented…" She squinted doubting that she was that special.

"After the first 100 years every face becomes the same and every voice is similar." He twiddled a few fingers in the air. "But perhaps I'm exaggerating and it all results from a smitten reaction and you aren't that pretty or that interesting. And the bravery I've seen in you is untrue and truly misleading and the devouring appetite to rise back to life is only in my eyes to see."

"Your eyes see many things." She whispered holding her gaze upon his blue eyes for longer than two seconds.

For the first time she noticed how they were so clear that there wasn't any shadow in them and even the color faded across the iris into a stunning grey tone.

After a startling amount of five unwavering seconds she looked away with a loud discussion happening inside of her mind, she didn't dare to look straight at a man or to engage in such a long stare of all things, Damon would not approve of it…

Caroline guided her unquiet eyes to Klaus' again.

"Sweetheart?" For once he wasn't able to read her.

"I think that I need to get out of the house." She caught her breath as if it was a matter of life or death.

Klaus didn't wait a second longer and went with her to the driveway, he understood her urgency and respected that she remained silent as she took the passenger seat.

Caroline however would not remain still at all, she intertwined her fingers once and then unlocked them, she had small looks behind her and then unnecessary breaths that Klaus finally addressed.

"Would you like to tell me why you are being so restless?"

Caroline chewed on her lower lip before she shared her thoughts. "I forgot for an instant that Damon was dead and that I didn't have to caution my actions because of him."

"You're safe Caroline." Klaus glanced at her instead of the road.

"Do you think that I act like those men who spent so many years in jail that when they get out they can't adjust to the real world?"

"I think that time is important but as vampires we shape it to our own merit just as we shape the world to our needs." As he spoke he noticed the decline in her shoulders.

"I'm not more than a human with fangs." She narrowed her experience to a single phrase.

"That's another challenge for me then." Klaus returned his eyes to the wide road in front of him.

"When did I smile?" She asked surprised that he was moving on from his fixation.

Klaus smiled. "Are you upset that you missed the moment or that I haven't failed?"

With a truly disenchantment tone she answered looking at him. "I'm sad that you took it without my consent."

At once he looked at her beset by stun, he truly hadn't seen upon it like that.

"But I suppose you should be happy that I'm starting to feel anything."

Happiness was the last he had in mind as he stared at her.

* * *

After a silent drive across Golden Gate and true to the whimsical weather of San Francisco it started drizzling and by the time they stopped in front of some grey house it was pouring.

Caroline could tell how tense he was by the time it took Klaus to turn of the engine and to look at her but if she wasn't fluent before, she wasn't particularly compelled to speak now.

Visibly he retracted on what he was originally planing to say. "I won't be long."

Like a mirror from before she had no reaction at all and watched him leave the car under some really heavy rain.

Klaus walked to the house steadily and calmly knocked on the front door, there was no fast answer so he simply went inside of the house.

It was only a question of minutes but he walked out of the house with blood sprinkling his clothes and carrying a small white furry animal in his arms, once inside of the car he handed Caroline a stunning white cat. "I found him hiding in a corner."

Caroline instantly cradled the small animal who nested perfectly against her chest. "Did you kill his owners?"

"They worked for Marcel." He explained why he killed the couple he encountered in the house and then showed her a picture that he picked up on his way out.

"I know this Club, it was Damon's favorite." She recognized the building behind the kissing couple.

"It's a popular haven for freaks and kicks, I'm wondering why it's associated to Marcel when he is so against all vampire related things."

"I've only been there once and I didn't see Marcel there but it's a sex club where you can watch or participate in different acts and there are many chambers under the main floor. When I was there with Damon he left me in one of the chambers watching a couple while he went to another room that I assumed to be the owner's office."

"Can you draw me a map of that underworld?" Klaus squinted as the first foundation of a plan formed in his brain.

Caroline stroked the cat's back softly. "Haven't you been there?"

The lightest amusement showed in his features. "I'm an assassin with values."

"Have you ever thought that you are a murderer chasing other murderers? Because that's what a slayer means."

Smugly he smiled widely. "That's why I'm the Alpha male love."

"You're better than everyone else?" A hint of playfulness appeared in her voice.

"The devil himself wouldn't find a flaw."

"Hmmm…" She answered while looking away to the rain.

His frustration was very close to a growl, different from her carefree humming.

To her utmost confusion Klaus didn't drive back to the family house, he drove for another half an hour until they arrived to a massive property with a majestic mansion waiting at the end of an entry paved with huge trees.

Before he opened his door Klaus explained the mystery. "They all might try to deny it but everyone has a secret house."

"How do you keep _that_ a secret?" She was definitely impressed.

"I didn't declare it." He whispered like it was the biggest crime he ever committed.

"I won't tell Elijah." She respected the low tone he was using by recounting with a sweet murmur as well.

He chuckled flashing out of the car and opened her door as a true gentleman, Caroline had a small race to the house while carefully keeping her new friend closely to her.

"Have you chosen a name for him already?" Klaus noticed how the cat already started licking her hand as a way to get used to the scent and taste of his holder.

"I've named him Dickens." Caroline replied at the same time her wide eyes examined the foyer.

"Wonderful choice, he was a fantastic man by the way." Klaus led the way to the living room. "He was a dark man but you would have liked him." Klaus crouched in front of the mantel to start a fire that would warm the cold house.

With the rising light came a better look for Caroline and she liked what she saw, it was very enlightening for her that the house belonged to Klaus, unlike what happened back at the Mikaelson mansion this one only had traits that were exclusively a showcase of Klaus' personality.

She loved the art and the choice of a more rustic decoration in the other house but she was deeply in love with the Japanese decor over in this one, the neutral and natural colors lend a feeling of openness and purity seldom matched with every trait that she could identify as oriental.

He had a deep connection to his past but he didn't disregard the effect other cultures could have in his life, if she had to constrict Klaus' essence to a single word it would be timeless, with every connotation she could associate to that powerful word for he was effortlessly a beacon of power as well.

"While you make yourself comfortable I will change and maybe find us something to drink."

Caroline nodded upon his exit and chose the white sofa to sit. "Do you like your new name, Dickens?" She asked the cat with a caring caress under his chin.

The white beauty closed his grey eyes and purred in joy with the soft stroking, when she rested him on her lap he curled up for a nap.

Klaus returned with a new shirt and a bottle of fine malt, two glasses and a smile. "You have a new friend."

"I used to have a cat when I was human." It sounded like such a distant memory that Caroline zoned out for a bit, she only snapped back when the hazel beverage was dangling in front of her.

"How was your life when you were human?" Klaus asked with interest.

"I used to think that it was okay." Caroline accepted the drink.

"That is very minimalist." He lifted his eyebrows looking for more information.

"There's not a fascinating life story behind it all Klaus."

"Could you still share it all with me? The childhood scars, the young dreams and expectations of a bright Caroline ready to take over the world by rampage?"

"Are you serious?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I never ask a question without expecting an answer." He emptied his glass quickly.

"I rather talk about you." She leaned back on the sofa as if she was building up a space field between them.

He looked at the bottle. "We have alcohol and two glasses, why are we taking the safe option when we can ask questions that would be answered by both?"

"Are you talking about a _Never have I ever_ game?"

He filled his glass with a big smile. "I find it such an elucidating game to play."

She looked at him so full of doubts.

"It's only the two of us in here sweetheart and I really want to know more about you… and surely you must be dying to know if I sleep naked or not."

"Or not." She said with a genuine scold.

Klaus laughed. "Let us not procrastinate." He held his drink ready for the first question. "Never have I ever had a pet, not even when I was human."

She gushed out a whining sigh. "Are you doing this just to get me drunk?"

He chuckled again as she had her drink with a grudge.

After a refill, she thought about her question carefully. "Never have I ever been in love."

Klaus admitted his reality nonchalantly, it was something he never gave importance to.

"Your turn." She waited for his question.

"Never have I ever been to Europe with a lover." He anticipated her defeat.

"This is really fun." She complained that he was rubbing one of her biggest frustrations with salt. "I never left the country."

He smiled satisfied. "You will love all the big European cities."

"Never have I ever done anything without using my charm and my lilt accent and my dimples." She gave him a vicious look through half-closed eyes.

"It would be a waste not use my adorable dimples." Ingeniously he smiled before drinking.

"Were you this suave when you were still human?"

"It's not your turn to ask love." He reminded her with a wink.

Caroline pressed her lips together unhappy.

"Never have I ever turned down my emotions." He asked a bit more serious now.

"Emotions or humanity?" She asked unsure.

"I just wanted to know if you could tell the difference." He cunningly smirked.

She refused to drink because he wasn't playing fair but decided to ask something that would save him a drink but keep her guarded for his next attack. "Never have I ever tried to end my life." She expected a moment when neither would drink and her chin fell as a consequence of his action.

After he took the glass to his lips he spoke. "My first attempt was when I was still human at the hands of an abusive father and later on when I became a vampire and everything lost meaning, even my sister chose a lover over what was sacred." He looked at his glass wishing to take another shot.

"You said that Marcel and her were lovers and that he used her to get to the family..."

"She gave him access to everything and he answered back by stabbing her in the heart with a special dagger that produced strong hallucinations. She became different, ravenous and mad, it was excruciating to see her like that, it truly drove her to madness."

"You are the one who sounds mad." She cautiously laid out the words.

His chin moved because of the heavy way he was gritting his teeth, still it didn't look like he was about to cut her throat open so she didn't stop.

"You see the fact that she got hurt as treason because she's stronger than this and she should have seen it coming but abuse comes in different shapes and layers. Marcel used her trust against her, I really don't think you should use her strength against her as well."

"Never have I ever been told by a pre-20 girl." He scoffed upset.

Without notice Caroline erupted into a laughter that froze Klaus but woke Dickens, the cat lazily decided to check the rest of the house while Caroline covered her mouth from the impetuous display.

"It's not a myth then…" Klaus restrained his awe. "You are capable of laughing."

With a small shaking of her head she deviated her eyes away from him and had the drink.

"And you've never used that natural charm on anyone? I want my dare back." He tried to get the laughter going but she only led her eyes to him with an insurgent scowl.

That was fine by him, it was brilliant and if he had a soul he would sell it for a chance to grasp all of these little hints of the gripping woman that she kept from him.

Graciously she held her glass for the refill while the question formed in her lips, they almost curved enough for a smile. "Never have I ever had a long term relationship with a girl who was under her 20's."

He had his shot in one take. "I don't do relationships."

Her eyes drifted to the side like she was upset that she made the wrong question.

"Never have I ever had sex with a girl without her consent." He called back her attention to him.

Without caring to drink, Caroline's big telling eyes gave away her next question. "Never have I ever…" She licked her dry lips knowing why her words were trapped in her throat.

Klaus moved in the sofa, it was the slightest inch but he was almost inside of her personal space now. "Ask me Caroline."

As it happened back at the house she kept looking at his expressive enchanting eyes. "Never have I ever had sex with a woman while she was gagged, tied up to a bed or blindfolded."

It was barely audible what she asked but he filled his glass to the limit and then had it all in on one harsh take, when he was done he turned the glass bottoms up and left it on the sofa between them as if he was reinforcing his answer. "Even though a few would've preferred it that way, women like different things and I've met the occasional woman who asked to be chocked or spanked. It's not my cup of tea but there are many types of wishes out there."

"Okay." She simply answered what came of as the biggest refill her chest had of air.

"Why is it so important to you the way I like to enjoy my intimacy with a woman?"

Her eyes widened the tiniest before she controlled her expression. "This is like that game _Simon said_, you have to ask the questions in the right way." She recoiled to the safety zone she created.

"All right…" He picked up his glass again. "Never have I ever disliked a painting I created." He smugly changed topic but very sure that she would grunt and drink.

Her lips wrinkled and he astutely caught a smile that she was trying to hide from him.

"I studied arts and I don't think that I was that bad at it." She bravely spoke from her heart.

His reaction came from a heartfelt place as well, the crime she endured seemed immeasurable to him by a long shot as he touched the right buttons and Caroline opened up, artists were by default free spirits so it had to be agonizing for Caroline to have her wings cut like that when she was with Damon.

"I will take you to Morocco soon, I loved the culture and art that I've encountered there." he said the first thing that rushed to his mind.

It ignited a fire in her eyes but Caroline responded without a setup speech. "I would love to know Japan, I think that the influence it has in your personality is fascinating."

The smile wasn't smug and Klaus showed a hint of fluster as he swept his lips with his tongue.

And it was during that one second when she caught him off guard that she lowered her careful resistance as well and smiled at him, it was a sweet, in a way innocent smile that was paired with the dim light inside of the room.

He kept the image in his mind because he was going to need it for later, he would put that smile on a beautiful drawing and he would capture her essence just as he saw it, with a special light that perhaps she was beginning to see again as well.

Caroline ran her hand through her side braid, the gesture wasn't conscious but it was the first time she tucked her flawless look around him with intent.

"I'm ready for your next question." He squinted an warning though. "I hope for something personal."

"Never have I ever spent the night with someone else sleeping in the same bed."

He hesitated with his drink because she was calmly waiting for his move. "Rebekah used to sneak into my hut when we were children, during the big storms." He explained before drinking.

"Whenever Damon was done he left the bedroom and he never stayed the night with me." Caroline's low voice remained steady but she grew more comfortable. "So technically I've never slept with someone in the same bed." She crumpled her lips. "Well, there's our first night together but I was compelled and he didn't really sleep, he was only pretending to be asleep when I woke up."

"Never have I ever experienced pleasure." He viscerally dropped.

"You are cheating." Caroline snapped with offense.

Klaus only shrugged and had his drink, like before he dropped the glass between them attentive to her.

Caroline's drink was a hard one to swallow, she knew that fabricated pleasure didn't count. "We are running out of alcohol."

"Time for one last question sweetheart." He waved the bottle that was undeniably almost empty.

"Never have I ever thought I would smile again." She sweetly ended their game with a mischievous little twist and a genuine smile.

"That's the one that I'm taking with your consent." He smiled elated as well.

* * *

Rebekah was throwing knifes at the wall, she was so bored that she wasn't even standing, she was just sitting on a chair behind the desk and throwing knife after knife at an old painting that she was carving into a new shape.

Her last knife was caught by Klaus who came inside of the room. "Are we out of darts?"

"I'm a Viking so I favor anything that has substantial violence attached to it." She tossed her long hair behind her shoulder.

He laughed quietly but eternally amused with her. "As your older brother it's my role to make sure your aim is on point and nothing develops that better than live practice."

She looked at the blade as he handed it to her and then at him. "What's this truce absurdity before my eagle eyes?"

"I have a small decimation to carry out and I wouldn't mind the eagle help."

She straightened up with a small wheeze. "Why are you changing your song?"

He shook his head and turned away from her. "I'm going to a Club and use the chains there to torture all the Slayers I can find but if you want so stay here and enjoy your depressing hobby I would never get in the way of that." He walked to the door but Rebekah showed up in front of him with a whoosh.

"I will drive." She simply informed him taking the lead without granting him a look.

* * *

Dickens wasn't sleeping, he was a sneaky cat that moved every time the front door opened or maybe it was just a reflex from Caroline's motion because with every little noise she looked at the door.

This time around it was Sage and Finn who lovingly kissed as they came inside of the manor, it was awkward for Caroline to remain on the staircase but she really wanted to stay there and they quickly spotted her presence.

"I'm going to get something from the kitchen." Finn kissed Sage before leaving.

"Caroline, I missed you today." Sage beamed at the girl.

Sage walked like she was showing all the happiness that lived inside of her, like a glorious dance that made Caroline smile.

"Well, look at that." Sage sat next to Caroline. "You have a gorgeous smile."

"My friends at school used to call me Care." She obviously wanted to stray away from the different expression in her face.

"And what do you call this cute little thing?" Sage picked up Dickens enamored with him.

"Do you like him? Klaus gave him to me, his name is Dickens."

Sage cuddled the cat with a small moan. "I absolutely love cats."

"They are very strong, gracious, sweet… and they have many lives." Caroline loved them as well.

Sage spotted the similarities with a smile. "Did you spend the day with my handsomely rascal of a brother in law?"

Caroline nodded.

"Where is he now?"

"He went to do some Brotherhood things and he took Rebekah with him."

"Really? So many events today and all I did was have dinner with my husband."

Caroline softly chuckled. "I think that he wants to celebrate that."

Finn was coming up the stairs with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. "I convinced you to have dinner for once out of this house, it's a special rare occasion that I cannot allow to end without a proper note."

Sage returned the cat to Caroline and took Finn's hand instead. "I think that I like what I read in your eyes." Seductively she gazed into his eyes.

"Goodnight Caroline." He politely bid his farewells before heading to his bedroom glued to Sage.

"I'll have to cover your ears tonight." Caroline whispered at Dickens while softly stroking his head.

There was movement again at the door and Caroline quickly looked in that direction but it was Kol returning home, she wasn't too at ease with him and they only exchanged a silent look as he went up the stairs.

His only words were destined for the immediate call that he was making on the way down the hallway. "Bonnie, I'm home darling. Do you want to have some really late dinner?"

Caroline sighed, it was indeed late and it was getting Klaus an awful lot of time to return from his errand.

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't let me kill that last rabid dog." Rebekah was still holding a huge grudge because the last group actually gave a fight and one of them ripped her blouse in two.

Klaus opened the door of the car for her. "I told you already that I was convinced that Marcel was in that Club or at least that his flock knew where he was. That last dog as you politely mentioned is a werewolf working for Marcel and that small triviality could make a difference later."

"Can I have fun with him?" Rebekah pleaded.

"Only if you don't kill him before I ask him my questions." He cautioned her with a groan.

Rebekah came inside if the house right after him and saw Caroline standing up and leaving towards the bedrooms before any of them actually set foot across the threshold. "She was waiting for you…" She tilted her head to look at Klaus. "Two stray cats sitting at the staircase and worried about the most deadly creature on the planet... that's adorable."

Klaus countered her cutting remark with a finger that outlined her ruined blouse. "Why don't you go cover yourself before Elijah finds out that you have red underwear and has a stroke about it?"

Brassily she removed what was once a fancy satin item and dropped it on the floor while walking to the staircase.

Elijah met her half way as he came from the library and covered her with his jacket. "I'm happy that everyone returned untouched."

"We have a war prisoner in the trunk, would you be a gentleman and chain him up in the Temple?" Rebekah asked Elijah.

"Not in the Temple." Klaus admonished her with his stare and his voice.

She only waved her hand in the air as she disappeared from sight.

"About our talk this morning Niklaus…" Elijah took the moment alone to address what had been burning his mind all day.

Klaus shook his head and iced the talk on the second. "For as long as Caroline remains inside of this house, her choices will never be manipulated or taken away from her. If she wants to help you with the numbers there will be no objection to that and if she chooses to sit outside in the garden all day instead, her choice will be respected. Let us not forget who is the regent of this Brotherhood and Caroline has been taken under my wing."

Elijah bowed his head with a respectful response, Klaus was their leader and his word was law if he called for it, and in this instant his yellow eyes were a fiery sign that he was using rank on Elijah.

* * *

Klaus passed her door with a quiet will to see her again but he chose not to disturb her, he would have a shower and then spend some time in the Temple or maybe he would just grab a bottle of blood and enjoy a good book, they were all good ways to spend the night but before going any further Klaus stumbled upon a piece of paper on the floor of his bedroom, visibly someone pushed it through the closed door.

He anticipated some message from Kol or something along those crazy lines but to his surprise he unfolded a small work of art, his face was captured in a drawing with such exquisite perfection that it astounded him, the lines of his face were strong in contradiction to the soft way his eyes were done or the elegant lines his nose had, nothing had been left neglected or badly worked upon and even his lips looked too close to reality.

It was a brilliant piece of work and his eyes drifted from the unblemished drawing to find two words etched by Caroline's refined handwriting.

**Thank you**

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

High hopes – _Kodaline_

Awake my soul – _Mumford &amp; Sons_


	6. Awake

"… your father likes flowers, right? Because I want to fill the house with flowers but we can't have too many of them of course…" Caroline backtracked her enthusiasm a little. "We want a classy party and not a flower showcasing."

Annoyed Damon closed the book where he kept all of his side finances and finally looked at Caroline. "What's with the chatter?"

"I was talking about the party…"

"What party?" Damon moved to the safe.

His total indifference chipped away another bit of her esteem. "Your father is throwing a dinner party for the Council and I volunteered to organize it."

Damon laughed as he closed the safe. "Are you trying to ruin this on purpose?"

"I can do this Damon." She tried to sound confident.

"Don't be silly, my father will hire someone who can tell the difference between junior prom and a sophisticated gathering."

"I really wanted to do this." Caroline said discouraged, she wanted to prove that she could do it.

"I said no Caroline."

His harsh tone was back and Caroline simply nodded. "Maybe I could help the person you choose to organize it all?" She had one last try.

"I'm not choosing anyone because I don't care about some stupid party… in fact we are not even going to the lame party at all."

"But Damon..." Caroline's eyes widened in anguish, she really wanted to attend.

"This conversation is over."

She didn't nod this time but her silence was compliant.

"I'm going out for a while, when I get back I want to see you in the red room."

Caroline's world shrunk into an excruciating yell that wasn't leaving her mouth, instead she muttered. "I don't want to Damon… please, I don't like what happens in there."

"You aren't supposed to like it, your function as a good pet is to please me." He came closer to Caroline and sweetly stroked her chin. "And you are a good pet aren't you Caroline?"

"Do you feel anything real for me Damon?"

He smiled as he looked into her sad eyes. "Of course I do, you are very special to me Caroline. From the second that I saw you that I knew that you would be mine forever. You were laughing because of a message and you bumped into me on that coffee shop, you smiled at me but your eyes were roguishly dismissing me on the spot and I thought of how beautiful you would look all tied up and submissive." He brushed her cheek with a soft kiss. "Wear your hair tied up in a tight bun." He whispered as he pulled away from her.

Caroline didn't cry as he left the room, some days everything was just a parched desert, even her tears were dry.

* * *

Caroline moved her hands under her long hair, the curls bounced happily and free into soft cascades that reached bellow the line of her shoulders.

She eased up into a long breath and exhaled with will. "You can do this." She spoke to the girl in the mirror. "It's another day without him and you won't think of Damon today. He's gone and you are going to move on and stop looking back. You can do this." She clasped her lips tight. "You are Caroline Forbes and you can do this." She picked up a pencil lipstick and started coloring her lips with a stunning pink.

After another subtle reinforcement of black in her eyelashes she had one last look at her appearance today, the pink cardigan was just too cute and it looked really well against her white top and Jeans.

Before she left the bedroom Caroline still had time to move the mirror a little to the side and to add another horizontal mark to the wall, since she arrived that she made a line for every day that she was away from her hell, it made her smile that the number of lines was getting bigger.

* * *

It was really a smart move to have a backup bag with clothes in his room, so Bonnie thought when she stared at her bra turned into a two-piece item.

She scolded Kol as he walked out of the bathroom, she wasn't going to bother looking for her panties knowing that they didn't survive Kol's impatience either.

"You have super speed, it takes two seconds to remove this without shredding it." She parted her arms holding a piece of her bra in each hand.

"It takes less than a second to rip them off your body." He smirked before inching for a kiss.

"I can't put my dress back together." She said against his lips.

Kol circled his arms around her, bringing her closer to his damp chest. "That tiny thing that barely covered you?" He gazed at her as if he was still picturing her in the sexy number.

Bonnie smiled happy that he liked it so much. "I looked good in it, didn't I?"

"So you plan the way that you are going to rile me up and then you further complain when I fell right into your smoldering trap?"

She laughed on the way to press his lips for another kiss. "You know that I love how impulsive you are."

He absolutely loved the way she tasted and the way her hands were right now gliding across his back and in all honesty he missed her so much that it was a miracle they accomplished to have dinner at all before he whooshed them back to the house.

It was with that thought in mind that Kol spoke of what he conjured while he was away. "Would you consider going on a journey out of the country with me?"

"I would go anywhere with you." She answered with a sparkling glow in her green eyes.

"I only care for you." He was sincere with his docile statement.

That was perfect for Bonnie and she beamed with love reaching her eyes. "I love you too."

* * *

Caroline left Dickens on the loose in the living room, while the cat climbed the sofa for a comfortable nap she headed for the diner room where she found Sage in charge of getting the morning meal on the way, the red-haired had an elaborate hairdo and she was humming an upbeat sound which made Caroline lift her eyebrow in a gentle tease.

"Good morning." Sage sang the words with extreme joy.

"The champagne was good?" Caroline started displaying the napkins around the table.

"The champagne is still the best after all of these years." Sage sighed dreamily.

Caroline folded another napkin with a small smile. "You and Finn are slowly altering my way of seeing marriage. My parents divorced when I was still very young and I never met anyone who was happy while married but you and Finn have this connection so rooted in the love that you feel for each other that I can't imagine you two not being married."

"We will be renovating our vows soon." Sage oozed nothing but bliss.

Caroline accepted the jar with orange juice that Sage handed to her. "You will be getting married again?"

Sage nodded. "I love weddings but none of the boys in the family share my ideals so every now and then I marry Finn and look for the perfect white dress, all over again."

"I can help with the house chores so that you can have more time to plan your big day." Caroline promptly offered.

"I was hoping that you would help me plan the wedding itself." Sage replied sad.

"That's a big responsibility." Caroline almost added that it wasn't the same as baking a chocolate cake.

"I've organized my own wedding so many times that it's a tad depressing so I was hoping for a fresh new stylish set of eyes." Sage's clear eyes lightened up.

"I would like that very much." Caroline smiled emotional.

Sage answered back with a big easy grin.

"Two beautiful ladies smiling beautifully." Elijah walked in with admiration for what he found. "There's so much beauty in this space that it's making me redundant."

The girls laughed finishing up the table.

"Bonnie is having breakfast with us." Kol informed the crowd as he arrived.

Elijah looked for the girl.

"She was held back by the feline creature that she found on the sofa." Kol explained the delay.

"He is so precious. Who owns that kitten?" Bonnie squealed as soon as she came into sight.

"He's mine, his name is Dickens." Caroline said proudly.

"He is so cute that I want to steal him." Bonnie melted as she sat down on the table.

"You can't." Caroline stated serious as she sat across Bonnie.

"I see that Klaus is no longer the only literal character in the house." Elijah mused as he poured some tea.

"Being accurate isn't a big fault." Caroline murmured as she filled her cup with coffee. "It's a trait of those who like to achieve."

Sage winked at Elijah.

"I'm going away with Bonnie for a few weeks." Kol wisely chose the busy moment to reveal his decision.

"I wanted to take Sage away for our honeymoon as well." Finn only now arrived but visibly on time for his swift woo.

Sage made a huge swooning sound before kissing him.

"Are you wedding again?" Kol exasperated already hating the fuss that was about to ensue.

"Klaus mentioned that he wanted to visit Europe this year." Elijah drifted his attention away from the newspaper for a few seconds. "Perhaps in good timing as well since Giuseppe Salvatore was shot yesterday."

"Did we do it?" Finn was kind of lost.

"Is he dead?" Caroline left her piece of cake to look at Elijah.

"He was a victim of a gunshot but his other son Stefan arrived last night, I suspect we will have a visit from that one soon."

"We should all go on a trip." Bonnie suggested already on her way to a second slice of lemon cake.

Kol glared at her with vicious fury.

"Wonderful idea." Sage clasped her hands excited. "A family trip, we haven't done one in years."

"I will go tell Klaus." Caroline quietly left the table taking what was left of her cake and a cup of coffee.

"What? No." Kol protested.

"Let it go Kol, the family jet is leaving already." Finn teased him.

"Stop marrying your wife, I'm tired of watching her walk down the aisle." Kol snapped at his brother.

"Why don't you take the chance and ask the priest to marry you and Bonnie?" Finn cut through his slice with a sting.

Bonnie chocked on her cake and started coughing.

Kol pointed his knife at Finn.

"Excuse me." Bonnie kept on coughing but exited the table fast.

Kol went after her but not without plunging his knife into the table as a menace.

"You are so evil." Sage purred with a soft prickle of Finn's leg with her hand.

"I know, my bride." He kissed her lips languorously.

"I'm still here." Elijah voiced.

"No one cares." Finn answered before making the kiss longer and deeper.

Elijah opened the newspaper to hide the kissing couple from his line of sight.

* * *

Klaus only looked up when he saw a cup of coffee being gently placed on his desk and he met a smiling Caroline with rosy cheeks greeting him.

"Is it an hallucination?" He narrowed his eyes a bit.

Caroline shook her head.

"Am I the reason you are smiling?" He picked up the coffee.

"We are all going to travel together." She crossed her hands in front of her and did this tiny little sway with her body. "And I'm going to plan Sage's wedding."

"I love a good party." He enjoyed his warm coffee.

Her smile naturally grew but suddenly she changed it into a worried expression. "I wonder if she wants to have the wedding here at the house."

"That would be a novelty so she might enjoy that."

"The garden would be a magical place for it." Caroline wandered of in her thoughts.

"What about my garden?" Rebekah coldly asked as she joined them in the office.

"Sage and Finn are doing the marriage routine once more." Klaus finished the coffee with a steering eye towards Caroline.

"On my garden? I hope that she replies no for once when the priest asks the eternal question." Rebekah dropped her daggers on the desk. "Our prisoner is the tough altruist type by the way."

"What did you pull out of him?" Klaus knew his sister's qualities well.

Rebekah lifted her head with pride. "He came to San Francisco with his pack and they are staying in a house not far from the bridge." She wrote down the coordinates he gave her.

While the torture conversation happened, Caroline was fascinated with the double daggers and picked one of them, it had a ring shape at the end of the handle and she curiously slid a finger through the ring, she had no idea how it worked but instinctively she gave the blade a little nudge, it circled around her finger too fast and she widened her eyes having to dodge her face away from the moving piece before she cut herself with it.

Rebekah stopped her from doing an encore by grabbing the blade with her palm.

Caroline removed her finger from the handle. "That's a really cool weapon."

"I'm aware." Rebekah forced a smile. "Whilst he prefers the calm and honor of his Japanese heritage, I learned from all the great Chinese masters."

"You did it only to contradict me." Klaus fondled over a couple of maps.

"I seldom hide my reasons." She quickly replied.

"I found an address." Klaus folded the map ignoring her.

"Are you going alone?" Rebekah asked hopeful.

"No, I'm taking Kol with me." He crushed her hope without mercy.

Rebekah fumed as he walked out, of course that now that his sidekick was back she was pushed to the corner, she huffed before noticing the silent presence still in the room. "Don't you have some inward breathing to do?"

"Actually…" Caroline pleaded more with her eyes than she did with her voice. "Would you teach me how to fight?"

Rebekah chuckled. "Won't Nik be jealous?"

"I really want you to teach me how to use… those." Caroline's eyes landed on the daggers.

Rebekah laughed. "Look Barbie Vampire, I don't trust you a tiny inch so I'm not trusting my weapons to you not even by a long shot."

"Then just teach me how to handle myself in a fight."

"You are not thinking of joining the Armed Forces, are you?" It was almost rhetorical and Rebekah went around Caroline to leave.

She cut her off with a small step. "How long do you think it will take for Giuseppe to find out that I'm not dead and that I might be directly involved in Damon's death?"

"Did he really care for Damon that much?"

"Damon refused to talk about it but his father is violent and I think that the abuse went further than just the usual beating, I never used it to justify Damon's actions but none of the men in that house are good."

"So papa Salvatore dreams that you are alive and rides on a silver horse to collect your head, what do you think it will happen? Nik will never allow him to enter the driveway."

Caroline ate her words but her expression was hard.

It resonated with Rebekah who opened her mouth a little before speaking. "You are done being a victim and you want to do something about it."

"It's a long way to the finish line but I'm not blind to it anymore." Caroline confessed.

Damn it, now Rebekah identified herself with the girl and that was unsettling. "I won't be soft or kind with my strikes and I don't have much patience so you are expected to learn very quickly."

Caroline nodded vehemently.

"When do you want to start?" Rebekah asked already cranky.

"Right this instant." Caroline refrained from taking off her cardigan.

"Let's move to the ballroom." Rebekah chose a location with more space to move around.

* * *

Kol unlocked his phone but almost as quickly locked it, he dropped it on the hood of the car and took the coffee Klaus handed it to him.

"You show signs of a lover's spat." Klaus said but with an eye on the other cars that were parked on the small gas station.

"It was a tiny, practically nonexistent spat." Kol let out some of his grudge with a low growl.

Klaus looked at him diverted. "Is this about the family voyage that was arranged during breakfast?"

"I asked Bonnie exclusively and then she went and invited everyone to tag along." Kol vented to his brother.

"Obviously this has left a mark."

"I wanted to show her Venice and London alone, not to have Sage and Finn kissing in the background of every picture."

"If there's a selfie involved I will set everyone on fire." Klaus calmly said.

"I will hold the matches for you." Kol sneered.

Klaus looked away to the cars again, there was one that interested him and he waited for the owner of the old Ford to come near it. "My advice would be to talk to her, I doubt that she did it without a solid reason."

"I was surprised to find Caroline still at the house upon my arrival yesterday." Kol expected her to be half way across the world.

"Don't." Klaus simply said.

"I won't." Kol assured him.

* * *

"Excuse me love."

The girl turned around searching for the nice voice and widely smiled when she encountered not only one but two hot guys coming in her direction. "Yes?"

"Can we borrow your car?" Klaus asked with a dimpled smile.

Before she answered Kol was entirely using his charm on her as well.

"We are not serial killers." He offered her the bonus of a small effortless flirting.

* * *

Caroline's back hit the floor so hard that she assumed her spine was broken but it would only take a few moments to access that, the small twitching that her index finger did was a great sign so she rolled over and stood up after a small inhale. "Again."

Rebekah smiled impressed that the other blonde wasn't giving up so easily, she came at Caroline mercilessly and attacked her with a powerful fist that was only pushed aside to postpone the kick Rebekah used to knock Caroline again.

"You are thinking about what I'm going to do next." Rebekah paced over to a moaning Caroline. "I can see it in your face, you are thinking if I'm going to use my legs or my hands and you are trying to anticipate my next move."

"I thought that that was a good thing." Caroline stood up with more effort this time.

"You are fighting with trouble cluttering your mind, if you go up against someone already troubled you will be fighting two individuals instead of one."

Caroline clenched her teeth and the words were held back on the spot.

"Do you miss Damon?" Rebekah asked with a harsh voice.

Caroline's disgust rose up to show in her face.

"I think that you do, to be honest I think that you miss the rough sex and the times he made you walk like you were a horse and the constant humiliation and the pain that just wouldn't… go… away." Rebekah ended her circle around Caroline with a final push. "I think that you miss Damon as much as you miss being a pet."

There was a vibrating yell that burst out of Caroline at the same time that she flashed taking Rebekah with her, she snarled with red animalistic eyes and pinned the other against the wall with a strength that was entirely unknown to her.

Rebekah gushed out a painful hiss, she was certain that she cracked the wall with the impact but that wasn't important at all. "Well, hello Caroline."

Caroline eased up on her grip and started recoiling away, shamed by her ways but Rebekah gently reached out to take her arms.

"Don't shy away now, use that anger and that hurt and focus on hitting me back." She asked Caroline.

She looked at Rebekah through glossy red eyes and tilted her head the slightest but the reaction still came fast, when Rebekah tried to hit her with her head Caroline turned the other around and threw her against the wall.

Rebekah flashed out of her reach and showed up behind her, she pulled Caroline's hair and tried to choke her with a snaking arm that locked around her neck.

Caroline's response was to bite her hard in the arm and an elbow that hit Rebekah's rib cage, once they were face to face they tried hitting each other with strong fists and it was a fair fight until Rebekah won the upper hand and shoved Caroline against one of the pillars of the ballroom.

Caroline's mouth filled with blood that she spit with a painful cough, when she looked up Rebekah was holding a hand for her to take.

"When you are not thinking you fight really well." Rebekah helped her up.

"Are you sure about that?" Caroline retracted her vampire features.

"You are a natural fighter who needs guidance but you have the same hatred I have inside of me, you shouldn't repress it but embrace it."

"Klaus told me a bit about Marcel." Caroline ventured through dark waters.

"We are not friends yet Caroline." She turned away with a steady walk. "Be ready at 6 tomorrow, if you want to enjoy the garden so much then we should practice at sunrise and appreciate it properly."

"_Yet_." Caroline muttered with a big smile, they would be best friends one day.

* * *

The girl looked to the sides before knocking on the door, she stepped back a little when a tall bulky man opened it.

"Yeah?" He asked unfriendly.

"Hi, I'm sorry but could you help me? I've ran out of gas." She pointed to the Ford behind her.

"What's up?" Another big man came to the door.

The first one kept his eyes on the girl. "Is that your boyfriend?"

The girl looked back confused. "I don't know who that is."

Two other men came out of the house and she stepped back worried.

"Where did he go?" The first to greet her at the door lost track of Klaus with only a blink.

There was a thud and he turned around, two of his friends were on the porch dead, Klaus was holding their hearts in his hands and the girl was screaming in the background while running away, he looked at his other friend and his head did a complete 180 turn.

Kol was responsible for the deed and neared him callously. "I'm the relaxed one so you should be nice to me."

"Piss off." The man answered with speed.

"We have an eloquent member in the parade." Kol joked with Klaus.

"Is there a name?" Klaus came closer to the man as well.

"Lyle." He bravely didn't move from his place.

"Human or werewolf?" Kol asked interested.

"Werewolf." Klaus could smell it.

"Where is Marcel, werewolf Lyle?" Kol inquired with a playful smile.

"Not here." Lyle kept it to the minimal.

Kol exchanged a look with Klaus, his brother shrugged with a whimsical wave of his hand.

"All right." Kol took a gun out of his leather jacket and shot the werewolf in the shoulder.

The big man took the hit slumping to his knees.

Kol opened the chamber of his revolver and dropped all the bullets on the ground, he later picked up one that he showed Lyle. "I need a location or something substantial."

"Why do you think that I'm going to tell you jack?" Lyle pressed his bleeding shoulder with a groan.

"How good are you at Russian Roulette?" Kol closed the chamber, spun the cylinder and pointed the muzzle at Lyle.

Lyle gulped down and flinched when Kol pulled the trigger.

"Round two." Kol gave another spin to the cylinder.

"Marcel is not here, he just hired us to dig something for him." Lyle sprinted, closing his eyes as he heard the trigger again, luckily for him it was an empty round.

"Something?" Kol pointed the revolver at Lyle again.

"I don't know what man, I just know that he needed some crap from a place that was locked to vampires and humans so he asked us to get it but we never saw what was inside of the box."

"Did you retrieve the box from this location?" Klaus showed him a paper that he found inside of the house.

"Yes." Lyle wondered about his destiny now.

Kol pointed the gun at the sky and then pulled the trigger releasing the only bullet inside of the revolver. "Remember this day as the day you were spared by a Mikaelson. We will collect on it one day."

Lyle clutched his wound harder as Kol and Klaus walked away without caring to glance back at him.

* * *

"Every bone in my body hurts." Caroline complained to Dickens.

The cat was licking her hand like it was possible to take away her pain by doing so and Caroline thought that it was the cutest thought ever, she kissed Dickens' head before going inside of her bedroom, there was a long hot bath waiting for her but also something else that she wasn't expecting on her bed.

Dickens jumped to the bed curling up on top of her pillow while Caroline inspected a small package and an envelop that was sitting on her mattress, she didn't know what to expect so Caroline opened the envelop without hurry, the card was written by hand and it was a message from Klaus.

**May I take you out for dinner tonight?**

There was also a phone number under the question and his name lastly attached to the invitation.

She touched the ink beautifully forming the word Klaus with her thumb before exchanging the card for the small package, inside of it she found a cellphone which she guessed it was to deliver him the answer.

With a smile Caroline wrote down a simple _yes_.

* * *

Elijah waited in the lobby for the man who would take him to see Giuseppe but against his prediction it was a new unfamiliar man who came to shake hands with him.

"I'm sorry, my father isn't feeling well and he won't be able to see you today." The blond man was cordial and apologetic in his features.

"I'm Elijah Mikaelson and I presume that you are Stefan Salvatore." Elijah hated a poorly introduction almost as he loathed the lack of one.

Stefan closed his eyes for a second following the motion with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry for my manners, this situation with my brother really messed with me."

"A sibling bond is something that I can easily establish a connection with."

"I wasn't too close to Damon." Stefan fell into a quiet confession.

Elijah didn't carry out the conversation, he was getting a feel of the new face.

"We had our fights and I wasn't a fan of the way he always ruined everything around him." Stefan had a slow licking of his lips. "My father said that Caroline took her life…"

Stefan expected a long answer by the way he was looking at him but Elijah wasn't inclined to please anyone today. "She was wretchedly unhappy."

"After he became a vampire Damon was exposed to a world where rules didn't apply and I couldn't bring him back to us, nothing worked so I just gave up one day. I lost my brother long before I left but I still loved him."

"The girl was left behind as well." Elijah had the distinct notion that he was face to face with a coward.

Stefan looked down. "Damon would never let her go, he was obsessed with her and in his own dark way he was in love with her."

Elijah smiled which would certainly confuse Stefan but he found it funny that whenever a low-life had the need to justify actions they would recourse to the ever infallible dark description.

"Do you have any new leads on Damon's murderer?" Stefan was pointing towards the end of their small talk.

"I'm dedicating my entire time to it." Elijah evasively answered. "Please send my regards to your father and I do hope he recovers well from his momentary indisposition."

"I will." Stefan shook hands with Elijah but didn't walk him to the door.

It was something deeply appreciated by Elijah, it was a given that he had no sympathy for this family and he planned for his escape to be swift, if it wasn't for the car blocking his way on the driveway.

He went around the convertible to confront the driver and was surprised by a pair of stunning stilettos at the end of some really long legs, the girl was lying across the front seat and evidently attempting to remove something she dropped on the floor of her car.

"Excuse me…" Elijah cordially looked away from the tanned skin that wasn't covered by her tiny silk shorts.

"Just a minute." The girl's voice rang from inside the car like a mermaid song.

Politely he waited until she straightened up and left the car, when it happened he was confronted with an extremely beautiful face framed by some massive black long curls and a sexy smile curving from her red luscious lips.

"I dropped my phone." She waved a shiny little thing covered in diamonds.

Unexpectedly Elijah was fishing for a reply that was delayed.

"I'm Katherine Pierce." She switched her phone to the other hand and reached out to greet him.

Softly he took her hand and placed a courteous kiss on the back of it. "Enchanted miss Pierce, I'm Elijah Mikaelson."

"So that's how royalty looks like." She cocked an eyebrow impressed.

Graciously he smiled. "Are you related to the Salvatore family?"

"I'm Stefan's on and off…" She said with a careless, casual feeling to it.

Regardless if it was current or not, it was enough to give Elijah a stopping boost. "It's a troubled time for the family."

She dropped the car keys for the approaching security to catch. "The old man is coughing up blood and feverishly hallucinating so at the moment it's all highly unpleasant in there."

"Surely the city has some entertainment that will help ease the torment."

Katherine laughed with a naughty connotation. "Do you recommend any attraction in particular?"

His path was free now so Elijah wasted no time, he still answered her though before driving away. "I'm sadly a bigger fan of the old world."

For the longest moment Katherine stood on the driveway intrigued by the charismatic man.

* * *

Bonnie hid her hands inside of her jeans' back pockets, she faced Kol who had his arms stretched to the sides of her door frame and still conflicted if he should push this any further.

"Did you drive all the way to my house to hold the foundations of it?" She cutely tried to be witty.

"Why did you turn my invitation into a group hug?"

"I've been seeing you for two years Kol and I still don't know your family. Rebekah is like the blond Terminator and Sage reminds me of Bree from Desperate Housewives and that intimidates me a lot, then all of your brothers are this twisted version of Mc Steamy." She threw a hand in the air.

"What about me?" Kol asked distraught.

"You are my Mc Dreamy." She yelped poked by his doubt.

"Didn't he die last week?" He grimaced.

She however melted. "You watched?"

"It was hard using the remote control because my hands were all drenched in blood but… yes, it was very traumatic." He was sticking to a bit of manly composer nonetheless.

Bonnie joined her body with his after a small step, melting away his icy posture. "You are Mc Dreamy because you make an effort to love the same things that I do."

"It's not the dashing hair that you love to pull?" He was cracking on his solid mission because he was a sucker for that brilliant smile of hers.

"It's the entire package but your package comes with a family that I would love to know better so that I don't feel so uncomfortable during family meals."

"I wish that I was an orphan of siblings."

She laughed with an adorable giggle at the end. "No you don't."

"Can I come inside now? My angry statement lost traction two drops of blood ago."

Bonnie pulled him down to her and planted a huge kiss on his lips. "Let's go make out on the couch to Ed Sheeran."

He smirked as she took him inside of her house.

* * *

Klaus waited for her in the driveway next to his car, usually he would be a secure source of cockiness and confidence but seeing Caroline walk towards him in a blue and white flowing dress was a bit affecting.

Her hair was picked up in an intricate knot behind her head but the locks left out on purpose danced as the night breeze invited them, just like it happened with her satin scarf that moved in a sweet alluring dance which gave extra movement to her small walk.

"Hi." She smiled at him choosing to stop just one step away from the car.

"You look beautiful." He opened the door of the car for her.

"Thank you." She answered with words washing away her blush and with eyes that definitely enjoyed how good his black buttoned up shirt looked on him.

"Where are we going?" She rested her clutch on her lap and eyed him as he occupied the seat next to her.

"Taking into consideration that I can't whisk you away for the time being, I chose to bring a bit of Europe to us tonight."

Caroline held her clutch tight, she was excited and her excitement didn't dim at all, if anything the drive made her a bit emotional, not that many nights ago, she was in the backseat of this very car unsure of her future and heavily sorrowful about her past and present.

"The drawing that you made for me showed great talent." He engaged her for a talk.

Caroline answered with her eyes glued to the window. "I'm a little rusty."

"You showed great detail which means that you were staring at my face for an immeasurable amount of time which I somehow missed but factually loved."

"I have exceptional memory." Her big hungry eyes kept on admiring every building that they drove by.

"And I have exceptional beauty." He was very proud of that.

"Seriously… you aren't that pretty." She mumbled stuck to the scenery instead.

"What was that?" Klaus released a loud chuckle.

Caroline firstly froze, then she moved her eyes around the frame of her window before turning to face him. "That was me."

"So you are passively hiding a sassy, perky and slightly snarky person inside of your safe shell?"

Caroline nodded with will averting her eyes back to her window.

He chuckled again focusing on the road, she was like a little child learning how to feel her way around things again, with a growing will to touch and smell everything and undeniably craving to find her place in the world, he wasn't going to deny that he hoped it would be in his world.

* * *

The restaurant was captivating, it was a cozy place that belonged to a couple of Portuguese emigrants, the environment was very familiar but Caroline found it odd that hey weren't led to the main floor.

Instead one of the owners took them straight to a private elevator and Caroline frowned when they went up two floors.

"Enjoy your night." The owner shared a head bow with Klaus.

"Are you a frequent?" Caroline stepped out of the elevator first.

"Miguel is an old friend of the family." Klaus showed her the way down a small hallway and then held the door of the balcony for her.

They could see part of the San Francisco grid from here and Caroline grasped an awed sigh. "I love the city at night so much."

"It's my favorite time to look at things." Klaus returned to her side with a bottle of red wine and two glasses.

"How many girls have you impressed with that?" Caroline smelled her wine before tasting it.

"It still hasn't lost meaning, whether if I've done it often or not." He mirrored her actions.

"Is that a big number or a small number?"

"I don't know, are you impressed by numbers?"

Caroline looked at him silently.

Klaus moved on. "I heard that Rebekah started training you."

"Are you upset?" She showed a small worry in her look.

"It's your decision." He left her at ease.

"I still want you to teach me how to quiet the demons in my head." Caroline consciously faced a fearful decision and took a step closer to him.

She stared at him with a power that pinned him to the floor and Klaus wasn't able to move a muscle or to look away from her. "What were you referring to when you thanked me last night?"

"You gave me my voice back to me."

"I find it an immorality that you've been silenced at all."

The soft breeze was picking up speed and during the small flit that their eyes were doing her scarf flew away from her, without much of a gesture Klaus caught it with a firm hand.

He left his glass on the ground so that he had his two hands free and proceeded to gently return the satin piece to her shoulders. "Why did you change your mind about the training?"

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." She spoke with a soft voice.

He lightly touched her shoulders over the scarf but not wanting to push his touch he retracted his hands back to his body level, during the motion she surprised him by catching one of his hands.

"I don't have feelings." He tried to easily sneak out of this sort of intimacy that wasn't started by him.

"I don't believe you."

"I held a heart today in that hand." He waited for her to break away from him.

"Emotions and humanity are two different things." She reminded him.

"And if I've lost touch with both?"

"I'm not holding both of your hands." Slowly she formed a rogue smile.

It truly compelled him. "Are we entering or leaving the friends area?" He brought forward his dimples.

Caroline let go of his hand and placed her hands in front of her, her palms towards her face. "I'm healing myself, so all of this…" She circled her hands around her look for the night. "Was made for me, I wasn't thinking about how hot I had to look for a man so that's improvement but it's a slow candle-burning process and my trust is all placed in the hands of a professional assassin so I don't know how good I'm going to turn out after all of this healing thing happens but I need you not to label what we have."

His smile widened. "There's not a time limit for us and I really don't mind waiting a century to tag it."

"We don't have a thing." She frowned.

Klaus picked up his wine. "We are not naming it sweetheart." He teased her.

She watched him incredulous as he turned his back on her. "Klaus! There's not a thing."

He pulled the chair for her. "We should probably start eating before the thing becomes a thing."

She shook her head with a fault-free roll of her eyes. "I give up."

He sat at their private table ready for dinner and lifted his glass. "To friends."

She lifted her glass as well. "To unlikely friends."

Klaus enjoyed the toast with a smirk that made his blue eyes shine, the thing was officially a thing.

Caroline scoffed with a determined sip of her wine, he was being a pretentious prick if he truly believed that there was remotely a thing starting between them and for thinking that she was going to debate this with him. "We don't have a thing." She felt the need to express out loud.

"Of course we don't, sweetheart." He had the last word.

On cue she narrowed her eyes at him in a perfect little glower.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

Freaking me out – _Nicole Eitner_

Fighter – _Christina Aguilera_

Simplethings – _Miguel_

Scars – _James Bay_


	7. Backbone

**The Salvatore mansion 2013**

The small portion of blood that Caroline had wasn't enough to erase the marks that the rope left in her wrists and ankles, for Damon it wasn't enough the control that he had when he tied her up like that, he had to further damage her dignity when she was forced to look at her body and be reminded of what she just endured during another night with him.

Motivated by the tiniest sound of someone approaching Caroline turned around fast, her face mirrored the smallest hint of hope when she saw Stefan.

In contradiction Stefan didn't continue with his steady walk because it wasn't common to find Caroline on this side of the mansion. "Where's Damon?"

"He went out with Giuseppe." Caroline had a cautious step closer to him. "But he is never out of the house for long so I don't have much time."

"Time for what Caroline?"

"Damon admires you, he has so much respect for you that he would listen if you spoke to him about what goes on inside of the Red Room."

"Caroline, what happens between a couple in their privacy is their own business…"

Her entire temperature iced. "He hurts me in there Stefan, it's not about dominance or his unconventional wishes anymore. Damon is becoming increasingly violent by the day and he doesn't stop when I use the safe word or…"

Stefan stopped her desperate speech by raising his hands. "I'm uncomfortable talking about this with you Caroline."

With the last of her looming despair Caroline voiced her plea. "Help me."

"Damon's obsession with you is new but his commitment has kept him so far from killing innocent people on a frequent basis, he hasn't been on a random murderous spin since he's with you." He nodded so that she understood her role.

"I suppose that's what matters the most." Without hope she easily retrieved to her usual apathy and slow death.

They heard the voices downstairs announcing that Damon was back with his father and Stefan decided to place a last dot on their talk. "You shouldn't let him see you near my room."

"You're right, I shouldn't make him angry." She left to wait for Damon in her bedroom.

* * *

**Present time**

Caroline had painted her toenails in bright pink and she was admiring the color as she had her legs stretched over the gazebo seat with her feet bare to take in the sun, she moved her fingers like she was composing a melody and unhurriedly finished her blood bag.

Dickens was soaking up the sun with the same attitude, only that he was stretched on another seat with his paws and tummy up.

Caroline moved to look at Klaus who was crossing the garden to meet them in the gazebo.

"I envy the load of work happening on this side of the plantation." He joked before sitting on the stone and placing her feet over his lap.

Caroline giggled with a straw in her lips and her pink nail polish trapping his attention. "I had practice at 6 with Bekah."

"To wake all the sleeping birds?" He lifted his eyebrow aghast with the early hour.

"I practiced for an hour, then I created an accounting file only for Finn's cars and I did my nails." She wiggled her toes.

"I broke a man's arm and menaced to kill his entire family and I've only been up for 15 minutes." He smiled elated as if his win was certain.

Caroline pulled the straw out of the bag so that she could have the last drop without wasting any blood. "I have prettier feet."

"You haven't seen mine." He impersonated a perfect appalled character before he sighed. "Alas I forfeit."

Caroline laughed because it was silly to imagine him with pink toes but she quietly straightened up and sneaked her feet back inside of her ballerina shoes when she saw Elijah walking their way.

"They've found out that Giuseppe is infected, the attack at the restaurant was done with a bullet laced with wolf poison." He informed the couple.

"Dear God!" Klaus clasped his chest. "Someone should find the cure and bribe me with hugs." He revealed his dimples through a teasing smile.

"I was counting that the man would die faster." Elijah was annoyed by the minor flaw in his plan.

Finn joined them for a brief meeting. "Stefan was out all night in the black market looking for a sample of your blood."

"What exactly is a black market for this sort of thing?" Klaus inquired with a frown. "Is there a market at night with stands where they have different samples of blood kept inside of tiny bottle with labels? I wonder if they have forgeries with my name when in reality it's rat's blood."

Elijah closed his eyes with a tired hand that swept his features, he hated when Klaus was so bloody literal.

"I have a niggling feeling that Stefan will arrive shortly with an appeal for your blood." Finn even glanced to the driveway supporting his belief.

"I'm afraid that that will be an unattainable request." Klaus stood up. "I'm afraid of needles." He cringed his features as he walked by Finn and headed back inside of the mansion.

Finn followed him while Elijah took Klaus' vacant seat.

"He exhausts me." He relented.

Caroline looked at him worried. "Don't underestimate Stefan, he won't stop pushing until he gets that blood and if he finds out that I'm hiding in here…" Her voice dropped.

"He would have to battle his way through four Originals and Sage." He lowered his chin with intent. "He might surpass us but Sage would cook him for dinner."

Caroline softly laughed.

Dickens majestically descended from his sunny spot to the ground and entangled himself with Elijah's legs, rubbing his head against the side of his leg.

"He's giving you a hug." Caroline said.

Elijah picked up the white marshmallow of fur and handed him to Caroline. "That's lovely."

She suppressed a tiny laughter but found his expression terribly funny, she stroked Dickens cheeks with love and the cat blinked at her slowly, he nested on her arms wanting nothing but to stay protected in her warmth now and Caroline decided to enjoy her sunny rest for a little longer.

* * *

Klaus looked back as Finn closed the door of his office once they reached it, it was odd already that he had followed him here.

"You and Caroline seem very at ease with each other." Finn prepared a drink for them.

Klaus groaned. "Not you as well."

Finn handed him a drink. "I'm your older brother and you will listen."

Sombrely Klaus took the drink and sat down at his desk while Finn took the chair in front of him.

"I suspect that Stefan will not accept well that you were directly involved in the death of his father and his brother." Finn started.

"I could kill him as well and this conversation would also be short-lived." Klaus interrupted him.

"And all in the name of a girl you shortly met at a party." Finn continued.

Klaus gave up and had his drink instead of speaking up.

"I met Sage when she was betrothed to another, she was buying skins in the market and fighting with the man who was trying to overprice them. I remember watching her from across the square and thinking to myself that she was the most enchanting thing I had ever seen and my heart was beating out of my chest for her. I have done things for that woman that most men would coy away from even conceiving them but I haven't given any of it a second thought."

"In conclusion?" Klaus sneered from his chair.

"I have nothing to say about your choice to shelter Caroline that night or the repercussions of that unthought action."

"_Helen of Troy_?" Klaus brought back the comment that Finn made that night when he first saw Caroline inside of the car.

"Have no doubt that history has a way of recycling itself but if Achilles shows up at our doorstep crying out for Hector I will not go out there in your place." Finn joked with a soft laugh and stood from his chair.

Klaus leaned back in his amused. "It was the golden scale of Zeus that tipped over to doom Hector."

Finn shook his head on the way to the door. "Athena persuaded Zeus to retrieve his divine protection of the mighty human."

"Women can be artful when they desire." Klaus now enjoyed the drink without care.

"Mine says that she doesn't oppose if Caroline becomes your _Shellan_."

Klaus sent him away with a growl.

* * *

"It's a slow afternoon." Caroline told Sage as she entered the kitchen, she had done everything on her work list already and Rebekah wasn't around for another training so it became the perfect opportunity to get some research done on Sage's preferences about her wedding ceremony. "What are you doing?" Caroline curiously leaned over the kitchen counter for a better view.

"I made lime ice cream." Sage offered a spoon for Caroline's tasting.

"Hmmm…" Caroline adored what she tasted. "It's tart but sweet."

Sage liked the smile that she saw and she filled a bowl with ice cream for Caroline. "Should I keep two plates off the table tonight?"

"Klaus hasn't mentioned anything about dinner yet." Caroline draped the spoon across the ice cream, while creating an artistic pattern she looked up at Sage. "Would you be very upset if we weren't here?"

"Do you want to not be here?" Sage inquired about what was important for her.

"I like talking to Klaus, he makes me feel like whatever I have to say is important even when it's just a random slip."

Sage rested her elbows on the counter. "You've been forcefully silenced once and now, every slip as you call it, comes with the utmost importance but I also have the feeling that he enjoys the sound of your voice."

Caroline had another spoon of ice cream with a soft frown.

Sage had the softest chuckle. "For werewolves, scents are as important as sounds. While some odors are tied to identity others give off emotions and it's quite the same with voices."

"Werewolves? I barely know anything about being a vampire." Caroline complained with another big dive of her spoon into the bowl.

"It's all about using your senses…" Sage looked back at the kitchen door that revealed a Finn full of car oil. "Something that my husband is not fully in charge of."

He was already taking his shirt of when he saw Caroline sitting at the kitchen island. "Please forgive my manners." He promptly apologized and pushed back down the shirt. "I had a small fight with the Bentley."

Sage found his expression adorable and looked after him lovingly as he walked away for a shower and a change of clothes.

Caroline bit her lip with a slight overture in her eyes.

"You want to ask me something." Sage even knew what it was.

"Without being completely indiscreet." Caroline had noticed some sort of mark carved into Finn's chest, the deep engraving was done on the skin over the heart but it wasn't a tattoo.

"The _Mark_ is an old Viking tradition that consists of having the name of the wife carven into the flesh of the husband on the night of their wedding before they are left alone to consummate their union." Sage looked for a pen in a drawer and recreated her name in old Norse. "When we got married Finn was already a vampire so he asked Elijah to use a dagger dipped into white ash in order to make the Mark permanent." She turned the paper towards Caroline.

"Do they do the same to the women?" Caroline moved the ice cream out of her way, she was enthralled to know more.

"No." Sage crossed her arms leaning over the counter. "The Viking men spent too much time fighting on other lands and it was up for the women to keep their own land and house safe, as Finn's _Leelan_ I was expected to be a strong shieldmaiden or as we called them in my time a _skjaldmær_ so as a sign of his unyielding love he offered me his best sword as a wedding gift." Impishly Sage twisted her lips with a dirty smile. "On all accounts."

Caroline's easy smile appeared but she was sort of stuck on something else. "What does _Leelan_ mean?"

Sage tapped the paper with her name. "My most beloved, my everything."

* * *

Klaus was sitting at the wheel while waiting for any movement at the house with the number 10 on the door, while the wait happened his baby brother was talking to Bonnie on the phone outside of the car.

Kol tried to keep his conversation on a low decibel but it was impossible to keep anything from Klaus and as he ended the call he gave his brother a warning look, it turned out useless because Klaus shot the question even before he closed the door.

"_The Feather_ is that groovy restaurant in The Mission, is it not?" Klaus sauntered a big smile.

"No." Kol said between teeth. "The only company that I'm taking is Bonnie."

"Caroline would love to dine at a typical 40s restaurant."

"You can't go with us." Kol icily dropped.

"You are infinitely adorable." Klaus had his coffee without taking his eyes away from the house.

"I am not the only one." Kol referred to the couple kissing by the threshold.

Josh and his boyfriend Aiden were vastly known in the supernatural community, not only for the lavish parties that they held but also because Aiden was the leader of a big werewolf pack while Josh was a vampire to connections to everyone and everything happening in San Francisco, right to the unsteady ground.

If a leaf stood out of place in the city bets were that Josh knew why, he was also sired to Kol and the two brothers waited until Aiden drove away to leave their car.

"I don't have anything new to tell you." Josh complained unenthusiastic about the visit.

Kol walked right past him and went inside of the house brassily. "Lying ruins your complexion Josh."

After Klaus made himself comfortable on the sofa Josh closed the front door with a grave expression.

"Is Marcel still in town?" Kol handed Klaus a glass with whiskey.

"He was until Klaus and Rebekah got too close to him." Josh resigned to his fate and decided to answer fast in order to send them away faster. "You literally smoke him out when you burned that Club to ashes."

"We always seem to be a step behind so either you are fiddling with your information or Marcel is having some divine guidance." Klaus skimmed through a few magazines that were laying on the coffee table.

"I heard that Marcel spent a few days in New Orleans and that he left with a young witch under his arm, there are whispers that she likes to draw the future." Josh tried to be calm but Kol flashed taking him with him.

Before the sofa tipped over Josh was already screaming with his hand shoved into the fire of the mantel.

"Your sire doesn't approve of your half-truths." Klaus said while entertained with the latest Vogue.

"It's just stuff that I heard on the street but I don't know if it's true." Josh closed his eyes in pain.

"What do you know about a white stake that showed up in London?" Kol threw Josh roughly on the floor.

He clutched his fuming hand. "Stefan Salvatore went to a small town in Virginia during his expeditions and what everyone is saying is that he found a white oak tree in there and that he made five stakes out of a branch." Josh faced Kol with a deep breath. "He gave one to Marcel in exchange for a favor but no one knows the right circumstances of that deal."

"I'm not happy." Kol took a step towards Josh but Klaus smoothly stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Don't kill him today, Josh sometimes proves useful." Klaus easily said.

"Keep those ears on the ground Josh and thank my brother for letting you draw another breath." Kol headed for the door.

"Skinny pants are back." Klaus informed Kol of his fashion findings.

"They should bring back the frock coat, those were the days." Kol opinionated as Klaus started the car.

"Less is more nowadays." Klaus went uphill.

Kol frowned with a glancing inquisition at Klaus. "Our house is that way." He pointed behind him. "Two streets away from trouble." He mused recognizing the route that Klaus was taking.

"I don't want anyone from this household near our home while Caroline is in there." Klaus entered the big driveway.

"We are going to be civilized about this…" Kol left the car under the deep stare of two men siding the front door.

Klaus closed his door with a scoff. "Elijah is the one who enjoys calling me a savage but it is without fundament."

Kol followed him closely. "You always do something that causes havoc and then they all blame me somehow." He whispered unsure.

Klaus smiled with dimples. "Observe." He pressed the little button of the door bell.

* * *

Caroline licked her lips apprehensive, she had a good five long looks at the door before trying it, she reached out to touch the sword that Klaus kept in the Temple.

"If you touch that, he will know it." Rebekah's voice echoed as a serious warning.

Caroline spun around with a huge scare and startle. "Rebekah…" She pressed her chest. "My heart just left my body." She hissed still with a ring in her ears.

"I'm serious." Rebekah neared her. "He even knows if we breathe too hard around it." She trapped her hair with her hand and bent over expelling a gush of hot air, the little cloud formed an instant mark on the sparkling blade and smiling she looked at Caroline. "How much do you want to bet that he will freak out when he gets home and notices that I was playing with his most prized possession?"

Caroline instinctively stepped back. "I don't want to make him angry."

Rebekah released her hair and a sigh. "You're right, we shouldn't poke the grumpy bear."

"But it's a really beautiful sword." Caroline's eyes drifted to the imposing weapon resting on the stand.

Rebekah crossed her arms with a long analysis of Caroline's features. "Why haven't you insisted that Klaus taught you how to use a sword?"

"I trust him." Caroline quietly answered.

Of course, Rebekah nodded, the last Caroline would want now was to have another man physically fighting her although it was a training scenario.

With a determined pace Rebekah went to the glass casing at the end of the room and removed two swords, she tossed one at Caroline who caught it a bit confused.

Rebekah straightened her sword with the tip up and pointed first at the part in touch with her palm. "This is the hilt which consists of a pommel, this round edge and the grip." She opened her hand so that Caroline could see it clearly. "The pommel was created to prevent the sword from slipping when we are fighting but my favorite usage of it is that it can be used as a blunt instrument at close range." She demonstrated by swiftly turning the sword and bringing it closely to Caroline's face.

She nodded very attentive to her lesson.

Rebekah outlined the bar metal placed between the blade and the hilt. "The crossguard was developed for the protection of the wielder's hand. The grooves in a blade are often named blood grooves but they exist only to make the sword lighter." Rebekah touched the middle of the sword.

Caroline tilted her head to look at Klaus' sword, his only had a tiny groove which meant that it must be very heavy considering how the one she was holding was already hard to keep balanced.

"The outer part of the blade is the edge and the sharp end is called the tip." Rebekah touched Caroline's sword with hers. "The part of the blade from the hilt to the middle is the strongest and from the middle to the tip is the lightest."

"How do I become a gladiator?" Caroline fiercely held her sword.

Rebekah chuckled and stood in front of her. "The _sverð_ is the hardest weapon to master."

With a rebellion erupting inside Caroline smiled. "Who is the best one to teach me?"

Rebekah swung her sword in a rotation that was finished when she found the blade on Caroline's hand and slid down until it hit the crossguard. "I learned from Nik."

Caroline's face lightened up with fire. "Let's skip the wooden training swords."

"The dominant hand grips the hilt, the non-dominant stays closer to the pommel, when striking you have to balance your weight with your feet like Nik taught you and keep your right arm straight, bending it as you lift your arm up to head level to strike." She demonstrated it. "Remember that your strike comes with the hand closest to the pommel and whatever you do, don't weakly hit me. Every strike has to be full and powerful and keep in mind that your goal is to take my head off."

"Okay." Caroline narrowed her eyes and swayed her sword with force, the blade was stopped by Rebekah and the sound of metal hitting metal with such strength echoed stridently inside of the room.

Rebekah liked how committed Caroline was to it but the biggest glee was on Caroline's side, there was never a sound that she liked so much, it truly quickened her breath and made her eyes shimmer, it was empowering to wield steel to her will.

* * *

Stefan arrived to the room with Giuseppe's feverish yells in the background, he was hopeful that a good outcome would prevail from Klaus' visit, regardless of everything that he knew about him. "I wish we had met under different happenings." He held out his hand for Kol first. "I'm Stefan."

"I know." Kol shook hands with him but looked at Klaus who was interested in an ancient helmet standing on a pilar.

After Kol cleared his throat Klaus eventually looked away from the strange art piece. "Someone seems ill." Klaus presented with a natural attire following another desperate yell coming from upstairs.

Stefan refrained his straightforward hope. "My father has been infected with wolf's poison."

"My condolences." Klaus let out with another neutral outtake.

"I assumed that you were here to donate your blood to a fellow member of the Council." Stefan did nothing to hide his first thought when Klaus was announced to be at his doorstep.

"Elijah is the one who attends those dull reunions." Klaus marked the alcohol with his index. "Do you want a drink?"

Stefan squinted although he was perplexed.

Kol kept an eye on the guards, Klaus always had to poke everyone in the belly.

"I already lost a brother so I'm going to be direct, I know that you have the cure and I have a dying father. What's going to take for you to give me your blood?" Stefan launched a clear cut confrontation.

"A white stake?" Klaus asked him as someone merely playing a multiple choice game.

Stefan's floor moved beneath his feet. "I haven't come across any stakes lately."

Klaus had his drink with a big challenging smile.

"Didn't you find Mystic Falls a bit dry?" Kol attacked Stefan from the other side of the room. "I wasn't a fan of the region when I was there."

Stefan gritted his teeth whilst searching for a good remark.

"The peculiar thing about San Francisco is that although it is the most densely settled city in the state of California, it is rather small and everyone knows who wears socks or not." Klaus appreciated the last bit of alcohol left in the glass.

Stefan swallowed dryly. "The slayers discovered that I stole the branch and I spent four months inside of a cave without food or sun, I was a corpse when Marcel released me."

"And the tree?" Kol asked.

"Someone poisoned the roots so there was nothing left of it when I came out of the underground."

"Something doesn't add up." Klaus closed one eye while aiming at Stefan with his finger.

"I wasn't alone in Mystic Falls, my girlfriend was there with me and she got away with the stakes while I was caught. After some negotiation she gave a stake to Marcel in exchange for my rescue but she kept the other stakes to herself and she won't tell me where she hid them." Stefan explained annoyed.

"Where is this artful woman of yours?" Klaus swayed his hand in the air.

Stefan pressed his lips tight. "She disappeared this morning and she took all of her things with her."

Kol and Klaus had a shared small laughter.

"You were the last man seen with Damon the night that he died." Stefan was far from finding a laughing wish.

"We shared a memorable moment." Klaus was all sinister with his look.

"Did you notice anything unusual about the other guests?"

"None of them were engaging enough." Klaus quickly replied.

"What about Caroline? My father said that she died in your house."

"I did not come here to speak of the dead."

"Why are you here then?"

"You were looking for my blood and I wanted to know about the stakes, this little altercation would have been greatly productive if your girl was still around to do the negotiations for you..." Klaus cunningly licked his lips. "Something that she seems to excel at."

Stefan responded to the barb with a snarl. "I will find Katherine myself and retrieve those weapons for you."

Klaus gave it an honest thought for a second. "Hmmm… no, I shall find her myself."

"I'll do anything to save my father, just tell me your price." Stefan kept a strong and harsh tone this time.

"You have pretty hair but I'm not for sell." Klaus raised his laughter and left the glass next to the helmet.

When he turned to the door he found a wall of men with crossbows aimed at him and Kol, he could feel another group approaching from behind Stefan.

"You are in my house and I'm not going to let you out of here without leaving that cure behind." Stefan's eyes darkened as his fangs showed up.

Klaus widened his eyes at Kol with a wincing face. "I deem that he is very serious about it."

"Well, the old man is about to terminate and I have a very important affair tonight so I can't be long… perhaps you could facilitate what he is asking for?" Kol shrugged.

"All right." Klaus smiled at his brother.

The small exchange distracted the group and Kol moved in a blur, he took down the men at the door faster than anyone was able to react but truthfully the only able to do so was Stefan because Klaus snapped the neck of the other three men trying to hit him with a spear.

Stefan picked up a lost spear and tried to stab Klaus with it, effortlessly he grabbed Stefan's wrist and easily broke his hand.

"I believe that you've demanded for a cure?" Klaus' yellow eyes flicked to make an appearance and with a powerful hold of his head, he tilted Stefan for a better angle.

Stefan hissed as Klaus bit him and Kol took the empty glass near the helmet handing it to Klaus.

The hybrid left a bit of his blood inside of it. "That's enough to save one, so it's up to your good judgment who you wish to save, yourself or your father." He left the glass near Stefan who was sitting on the floor.

Neither of the brothers looked back as they calmly left the mansion.

* * *

Kol was making sure that he had everything as he rushed down the staircase, he hadn't seen Klaus since they arrived home so he was assuming that he changed his mind about dinner with him and Bonnie, still he could never be sure and he wasn't risking it.

He grabbed his keys and made a furtive race headed for the door but Elijah decided to put a damper to his great escape.

"Can you wait a second before leaving? I have something to discuss with you."

"It has to be extremely quick because Bonnie is waiting for me." Kol sprinted his fingers across the top of his watch.

"The Salvatores have called for a Council meeting in the morning and it's not only a local summoning, I've received various calls from other factions that were informed about the meeting as well."

Kol opened his hands. "I already have a household to worry about."

"You appear more fitful than usual."

"Because I'm late!" Kol impatiently said.

Elijah sent him away with a fleeting hand but remained where he was buried in thought.

"Where is everyone?" Rebekah was clueless about the lack of activity in the house.

"I overheard Sage announcing that she was going out with Finn."

"We don't have dinner in this house anymore?" She huffed with a big shake of her head.

Elijah turned to her with a warm smile. "Would you settle for an old company?"

She walked to him and kissed his cheek. "Never in a million years I would refuse it."

He judged her mildly. "I offered to take you to lunch yesterday and you said that you already knew all of my stories."

"And I do." She easily admitted. "But I also don't feel like having dinner alone tonight."

* * *

Because they arrived early, Klaus and Caroline decided to have a walk before going to the restaurant, the stroll took them along the beautiful Dolores Street and despite the low fog it was still a great night to see all the Victorian mansions and Caroline enjoyed the peaceful walk with a quiet smile.

"Sage told me today a bit about the old traditions of marriage during your time." She cutely held her clutch with both hands in front of her. "I found the Mark very romantic."

"A portion of the folklore from the Old World was borrowed from Christians who sold them as their own. It was our tradition that the bride would walk in the morning of her wedding from her house to the house where she would live as a married woman, the ceremony was held there and she usually wore white and a veil."

"Did they exchange vows like we do now?" Caroline kept her eyes on Klaus.

"Most of the weddings were arranged so aside from what they learned during courtship there wasn't much that they could know about each other but we did have silver rings that were exchanged before a priest and family."

"How long did the courtship last?"

"No less than three changing moons, sometimes longer if the courtship was done during winter, in that case the wedding would only happen in spring when the Gods would favor the fertility but don't forget that we are talking about a time when the men were either away hunting or conquering land by force." He easily recalled his human days.

"You can live with someone for years and never know them all." Caroline encountered a small pool from the afternoon rain and eyed it with a minor growl, she was wearing platform sandals and was in no mood to get her toes dirty.

Klaus waited for her on the other side of the sidewalk and had a hand for her to take. "I always reckoned that that would be a very cruel destiny."

Caroline jumped but he secured her so well that she lightly crashed against his chest, her eyes landed on a spot over his heart and the question sparkled without her resistance. "Is there a name star-crossed over your skin?"

"Only a very attractive piece of tattooed art." He lowered his head with a playful look at her.

"What does the most powerful man in the world search for in a woman?"

Her direct question froze his lighthearted mood and although he was thinking about his answer none of the words were leaving his lips.

Caroline was rendered to a heart-stopping movement as well because he was looking intensely at her and there was a blue so magnificent in his eyes that this unfamiliar sensation took over, it was like drifting lost into this huge ocean of possibilities.

"Caroline…" His voice echoed differently.

From the second that they met that there was an undertone gentleness in the way that he addressed her but tonight Caroline felt a caring that she hadn't spotted before or maybe she was just letting something of her own leave the careful shelving of her feelings. "Yes?" She murmured.

"Do you know what a Leelan is?"

"No." She lied averting her eyes from his.

He almost laughed, for the longest time he didn't understand how much weight a single word could have, or how much he wanted her to look at him right now.

The small fog taking up the street enveloped them and magically the weather of San Francisco changed again, Caroline used her clutch to steer away a few drizzling drops.

"We should find security from the rain inside." He suggested.

Before looking at the restaurant at her right she stood on the sidewalk looking directly at him. "When you took me in, you said that you wanted to see me smile. That already happened but you haven't moved on." She softly moved her head to the sides as the drizzle rain started messing with her immaculate curls.

"I'd be lying if I said that I even had the faintest attempt to do so."

"My skin is healing Klaus and my wounds aren't purple anymore but I don't think that I can let another man touch me." She did let the pain slide through her confession.

He didn't sway an inch but astoundingly it seemed that he had closed all the space between them. "I'm the leader of a lethal group of assassins, people shiver upon the mention of my name and I'm sure that a few shudder with nightmares about the visceral way that I've killed over the centuries, no other man is stronger than I am or smarter if you allow my little vain remark and if reputation holds no meaning whatsoever to you then I vouch by the family that has seen me grow into the monster that I can be…" The yellow of his hybrid soul took over the innocent blue in his eyes. "… that whatever you need of me, you can have."

The cold that she felt wasn't from the rain and the tremor that capped her wasn't fear. "I don't know how to be on this side of these reversed roles."

"You will learn with time and I will wait." Klaus dazzled his way into a big smile. "However long it takes."

Her smile was tangled up with a draw of her breath, no one had ever stolen her breath like that.

* * *

Bonnie opened her front door without a clue of what was happening, first they were supposed to have dinner then he called her saying that he wanted to stay in with her, now he called her from the car asking her to meet him half way.

This crippling knot replaced her stomach and Bonnie was suddenly worried that he was going to break up with her, he was waiting for her inside of the car but visibly hesitant to leave.

She instructed her brain to produce short and deep breaths and had the first step down the porch stairs with unsteady legs, suddenly he left the car and she iced her moves on the spot.

"Bonnie." He said most determined as he halted in front of her.

There was no blood left in her, it all rushed somewhere unknown and she felt a desperation that was tangible all the way to Russia, he was really leaving her and she anticipated at least an year in bed crying because she actually loved the moron.

He held his expression serious but out of nowhere dropped to one knee.

Bonnie stepped back in a blunt reaction, it was raining massively and Kol Mikaelson was removing a small box from his pocket while kneeling on her porch.

"_You are my backbone, you're my cornerstone, you're my head start and my rugged heart, the pulse that I need_…"

"Are those the lyrics of a song?" Bonnie interrupted him with a squeal.

"It's from a Spiderman movie and I'm aware that he is your favorite super hero." Kol nervously defended himself.

She covered her mouth after a bursting smile. "Are you really proposing to me on the pouring rain Kol?"

"You are my backbone Bonnie and I want you to be my Shellan." He revealed a sterling silver ring to her.

She was speechless for a few excruciating seconds before she nodded with an escaping jittery laughter.

"Really?" He stood up boyishly smiling at her.

Bonnie jumped to his arms and laced her legs around his waist. "I will be your Shellan my beautiful warrior." She rested her forehead against his.

"This wasn't so hard after all." He said after the first calm breath he had all night.

"How long have you been planning this?" She scrapped the back of his neck with her nails.

"Since I asked you to join me on a certain voyage that you turned into a family fair."

"You are so unpredictable that I can't possibly keep up." She rubbed his nose with hers very slowly and cutely.

"And you are my Leelan." He kissed her happy.

* * *

The Feather had a small stage and tonight a beautiful girl shining on it, she was young and with a stylish aura about her, the songs were visibly evoking a time that resembled the 40s atmosphere inside the restaurant and Caroline was entirely loving it.

"She's amazing!" Caroline excitedly shared her newly found love for the singer called Mimicat.

"I enjoy her as well." Klaus refilled Caroline's glass of champagne.

"Do you have good memories from the 40s?" She asked him with the background sound of her foot hitting the other chair at the table.

"All the eras that had influential style and music were a treat. Rebekah was the biggest fashionista in the family."

Caroline savored her champagne slowly. "She's different now, less innocent I suppose."

"We were bestowed with a sister who can maim in a dress or in an armor, with the same beauty and force at display but with a heart very secured from the world."

"There's something about this tie that you have with Rebekah, when she speaks of you her eyes give away how much she adores you as well."

"What's not to love?" He leaned his head slightly to the side while eyeing her.

She looked away laughing and her attention was deviated to the stage, until he showed up standing in front of her, foolishly she looked to her side wondering how he even left the chair without her comprehension.

"That foot is begging for a dance."

She shook her head with a recoil. "I don't…" She pulled back her hand before he took it.

Klaus smiled at a random passing man who was wearing a hat. "Do you mind mate?" He compelled the man shamelessly taking the hat and placing it on his head.

Instead of pleading for her partnership at once, Klaus walked backwards to the small group of couples dancing in front of the stage and once there he waited for Caroline with his arms behind his back.

"Seriously…" She breathed out as he stood there with a hat and a smile waiting for her.

The music was inviting, that she couldn't deny and the environment was cool and asking her for a dance as well, pushing her dawdling attitude to the side she finished her glass of champagne and walked over to him.

"Do you want to lead?" He asked her half in jest.

"Don't misunderstand my clumsiness with two left feet, I just don't really remember how to dance." She took his hand and placed her own over his shoulder, all the while her eyes were trying to guide her feet.

His free hand barely touched her back and he led them through a series of steps that easily woke her memory. "This would be a wonderful occasion to shatter my belief that you have no fault sweetheart."

Caroline wobbled her head up to him. "That's ok, you can still think that."

Responding to her strange humor Klaus smoothly prepared his next move. "Brace yourself, there's a dip coming."

Caroline gripped the fabric under her hand and closed her eyes as he gently dipped her over, when he pulled her back up she softly smiled. "That was always my favorite part."

"On to mine." He grinned inducing a twirl that ended with Caroline giggling in his arms.

* * *

The house was in complete silence and dark when they finally arrived home, there had been another bottle of champagne and two hours of talking before they left the restaurant and similar to the dance the conversation hadn't been heaved out at all.

"A hummingbird?" Caroline held back a bigger laughter that she was hinting at. "I asked if you ever missed being human and you deliver this poetic speech about a bird?" She slumped against the door of her bedroom.

"It's a gracious bird." He resembled a pouting kid as he grumbled the words out. "Do you have anything against them?"

"I like bumblebees, they are cooler."

Caroline's sweetness was on all accounts genuine and he leaned against the wall next to her with his hands inside of his pockets. "You enjoy music, dancing, the arts and a few docile animals. Is there a chance to infiltrate a beast into that sugary list of yours?"

Caroline softly laughed and reached out for his hat, she planted it on her wayward curls and winked at him. "I like you my friend with the heart of a lion and the soul of a warrior."

He guided his eyes across her features wondering if she would cringe upon his touch, if he took that leap and simply brushed his finger along the lines that formed such beauty. "Goodnight Caroline." He chose to distance himself before forcing a test that would only serve his spontaneous wish.

"Goodnight Klaus." She went inside of her bedroom wishing that he hadn't cut their night so short.

After closing the door she hummed the songs that she had listened to during the night and twirled around carefree, her dance with Klaus had been the very best part of her day and she hoped that they would repeat that again soon.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

Foundation – _Years &amp; Years_

Happy pills – _Norah Jones_

Budapest – _George Ezra_

Tell me why - _Mimicat_


	8. Non Finito

Elijah was offered champagne while he waited in the big foyer along with the other Council members, visibly a celebration was in order which left him disquieted considering the circumstances that revolved Giuseppe's health.

It was more of a subtle disquiet and certainly not one to stop him from bringing his politician side to rise on top, he engaged in several conversations that were polite yet useless and waited patiently for the moment when they would all be called into the reunion room.

His wait wasn't prolonged as a servant from the house gathered the group and led them to a big division where everyone took their usual seats, Elijah's chair was closer to the door and he was immune to the conversations around him because his entire focus was on the main entrance.

It shouldn't have sparkled such surprise to see Stefan walking in but the Salvatore guided his look towards Elijah and he knew instantly the direction that this entire meeting was about to take.

"Thank you all for coming." Stefan sat at the head of the table.

The coveted symbolic chair was taken by him which meant that there was little to explain, yet he started as the old rulers did.

"My father died last night and the laws of the Council prevail above those of the city, while they will elect another Mayor for the humans to care we will deal with the Council affairs internally."

"Will you be occupying your father's place permanently?" Elijah's voice echoed neutrally.

"It was his dying wish." Stefan unfolded a letter that he pushed over the table nearer to Elijah.

He didn't move nor looked at it, it was all a showcase of formalities that mattered to no one, the Council was only a desperate need that the other supernatural beings had for a sense of power that Elijah knew to be frail right in its heart. "What's your first act as the new head of the Council?" Elijah asked with an intense gaze that didn't deviate from Stefan at all.

Stefan had a small hint of a sinister smile accompanied by a small shrug. "Change everything that is wrong with it?"

Elijah had a guess that Stefan was referring to his family and he knew that it wasn't a guess too far from the mark.

"This saga that my father commanded against the Slayers was poorly mislead." The sentence made the people around the table twitch. "And misguided." He looked straight at Elijah.

"It could be regarded as the same." Elijah didn't leave the remark to himself.

"Which is the opposite of what I'm doing with the legacy of my father, it makes no sense to me that we are supporting a family of enforcers when we could be using those resources to protect ourselves instead. This war that the Brotherhood has with Marcel is not really important to us when our survival is at risk."

The leader from Europe was the first to react. "Are you talking about redrawing your support and leave us to deal with the Slayers ourselves?" The Spanish started ranting in his tongue, it was an absurd.

"My brother was killed in this house during a party and although my father was promised that the killer would face our justice, he died without seeing his own son avenged." Stefan forced his voice to stay on the same low level. "I will not sit at a table doing nothing when I have the power to change the way things are at the moment. My priority is to find out who killed my family."

The Spanish stood up with a dry chuckle. "A fine long speech to say so little."

"I don't remember giving you permission to stand and leave." Stefan eyed the man heatedly.

"I'm most pleased that you have found your _cojones_ boy but I am older than this institution and I find you foolish for openly declining your support towards the only creatures in the entire world that I will ever fear. If this is your way of running this Council then I leave my chair empty for another _loco_ to take." He made sure to bow his head to Elijah and not to Stefan before leaving.

"These meetings are finally becoming interesting. Does anyone else need to be escorted to the door?" The man sitting next to Elijah decided to joke.

"Bash… does that mean that I can count on the North of the country to stop chasing Marcel and his crew?" Stefan openly asked him. "I need every vampire available to find and kill Damon's murderer."

"Hell, if Marcel shows up at my doorstep I'll even give him shelter and offer him some blood." Bash said. "I have nothing against him and your brother was always nice to me whenever I came to visit."

"You would invite someone into your home who has wrongfully killed one of my siblings?" Elijah turned his head to face Bash.

"Where's the difference in that from what Stefan is asking the Council?" Why is your dead brother more important than Damon?" Bash ventured on his ballsy side.

"It's a matter of respect." Elijah swiped his hand and removed Bash's head with the swinging movement.

It ended up rolling over the table and Stefan closed his fist aggressively responding to the affront.

"I don't require anyone to escort me to the door." Elijah stood while buttoning up his suit jacket. "Gentlemen..." He slightly curved his head down. "President of the Council." He turned to Stefan. "My family will no longer be represented at this foundation and any connection that the Brotherhood had to it prior to this day is now revoked."

Stefan looked after the Original's departure blustering while all eyes were on him. "Someone clean that mess." He ordered, directing his eyes to the head on the table.

* * *

Caroline was so entertained with her notepad that she found it funny how Dickens ingeniously asked for her attention, the beautiful white cat cuddled closely to her leg and rested his head on her knee using his little paw to poke the pad.

"Dickens… is there anything that you want to tell me?" She softly laughed when he subtly tried to push away the paper that was keeping her busy, Caroline was almost finished with the drawing anyway and left it on the bed, picking up the cat instead.

Dickens rubbed his head against her forearm and licked her hand happy.

"Do you like it?" Caroline asked him about the drawing that she made of Sage wearing a traditional white wedding dress with a veil.

Dickens stretched and queenly went for a walk around her bed.

"I'm not convinced either." Caroline sighed, she was starting to love the idea of turning the wedding into a big recreation of the old Viking days instead of the typical wedding in the house garden.

It was definitely a sign that in that precise moment Sage knocked on her door and Caroline scooped the pad under her pillow before rushing to open the door with a big smile.

"Kol stole my thunder." Sage complained aghast.

"What did he do?" Caroline followed Sage as she paced inside the bedroom all torn up.

"He proposed to Bonnie and she accepted him so now there will be an actual wedding." She hissed her foul mood. "Faced upon these unfair circumstances I'm forced to relinquish on my big day so that Bonnie can have hers."

"You were sad that no one else was getting married." Caroline sweetly refreshed her memory.

Sage rolled her eyes and slumped to a seat on the bed. "I was taking into heart the idea of having flower girls."

"I was right about Kol and Bonnie, they are very in love with each other." Caroline sat next to Sage with a smile. "And they make a really adorable couple."

Sage twiddled her fish-braid between her fingers. "Kol's engagement was a shock but then nothing about Kol is expected…"

"Do you think that they will adopt the old ways?"

"Give Kol all the shenanigans that were ever invented and he will collected them all but tradition is still rooted deep inside of these boys so not only will Kol do it but already Finn and Elijah are fighting over who will give the Mark to Kol at the wedding day."

Caroline was really a fan of their culture so far. "Is there a date set already for the ceremony?"

"So far Kol only called with the news but I'm going to corner him when he gets home, there's an awful lot to plan out. There's the location and the flowers, food and all the arrangements regarding Bonnie, even if we go ahead with our tradition we can't forget that she is still human and that possibly she doesn't want to accept a sword and spend her wedding morning with the girls."

Caroline showed her interest to know more by cuddling Dickens closely and sitting with her legs crossed.

Sage joyfully spewed the details. "According to our laws the bride must spend her morning with the other women in the family, who will instruct her in the art of being a wife and keeping a house tight. At the same time the groom is being instructed by the men in the family." Sage chuckled. "For the last century Finn has spend the morning playing chess with Elijah and nagging him about the bliss of being married."

"And you?" Caroline asked in dismay.

"My love for cooking has increased over the years." She shrugged.

"I'm sorry that you couldn't keep that tradition."

Sage warmly reacted by brushing Caroline's chin lightly with her hand. "I haven't lost faith that we can get that back."

Caroline was sure that Sage was referring to the wedding that she was organizing. "Was their mother still alive when you got married to Finn?" She suddenly asked.

"No, after Henrik was born Esther fled the continent with Nik's biological father leaving the boys and Rebekah with Mikael, her insufferable husband. Out of them all he hated Niklaus the most because he looked so much like his mother and after years of abuse and mistreat Nik triggered his curse by killing Mikael during a red moon."

"How did they become vampires?" Caroline's eyes grew bigger.

"Niklaus' blood turned out to be unique and as a werewolf he wouldn't shift during the full moon like expected, then there was something mystical about triggering his curse during an eclipse. Soon he was stronger than everyone and faster, he also had a craving for blood like no one we had seen before and during his first shifting as a wolf he practically killed an entire village and that was only the beginning, when he woke up in the morning he was something entirely different. He had fangs and yellow eyes and his senses were all sharp and enhanced."

"Klaus was the first vampire ever." Caroline was as surprised as she was mesmerized.

"The second was Elijah. When the village survivors' attacked the family hut steadfast on killing the family of the monster, they hurt Elijah badly while he was protecting Rebekah and Henrik, when Klaus found him he gave him his blood because he assumed that since he was healing so fast on his own that would save Elijah. The notion was spot on, however Elijah was too wounded and died with Nik's blood in his system."

"I really didn't know that." Caroline's stroking hand over Dickens' fur became random.

"After that everyone else became a vampire and I was Finn's Shellan."

"That's wife, right?" Caroline pointed at Sage rapidly, all these new names were hard to keep up with.

Sage smiled with an insight that only came with years. "Leelan is something sweet that we use mostly in our intimacy but for the rest of the world, the companion which an Original chooses for life is a Shellan."

"Is it like a mate thing?" Caroline's tone lowered a lot.

"By taking a Shellan, Finn vouched before his brothers to protect and take care of me forever, to never harm me or disrespect me in any way. If during a fight he would irrationally lose his temper and actually hurt me Caroline I could go to the Brotherhood and accuse him and they would punish him for it. If any other vampire touches me knowing that I'm Finn's Shellan, he will be hunted down and killed, along with his entire bloodline. And the same applies to every other Mikaelson, each and every one of them must agree to these rules once they choose a Shellan."

"Could they have more than one Shellan?"

"The concept certainly has followers in other realms of our community and I know of those who butcher the concept into what they favor behind closed doors and that some do have more than one Shellan or unfortunately twist our belief into self-gratification and use the sire ability to create their own Shellan version."

"I wonder how many out there have a Damon in their lives like I did." Caroline said with her eyes on the bed.

"Do you still think much about him?" Sage softly asked.

"Some nights I stay awake waiting for the sound of Damon's footsteps, for that dry knot in my stomach to show up because I don't known what he has planned for the night. He's not alive anymore but I still fear that I will say something that he won't like…" Caroline smiled as Dickens entangled his paws around her arm. "Just yesterday I was holding Dickens and suddenly I was worried that Damon might not allow that I own a cat and that he would hurt him just to put me in my place."

"Finn has never raised his voice around me and even during our fights he is levelheaded and composed, much more than I am." Sage mused.

"In the beginning Damon was charming, sweet and our dates took place in luxurious restaurants and he showered me with extravagant gifts. He was the first to ever give me that sort of attention, suddenly I was special to someone and that started to play a big part in all of my decisions. Surely a rich man like Damon could have anyone in the world and yet he chose me so the flaw when things started to go sour couldn't be on his side, it had to be me."

"When did the dream end?" Sage gently kept Caroline talking.

"We had only been dating for two weeks and Damon gave me a pair of diamond earrings, I was shocked and I didn't want to accept them but Damon insisted that I kept them and that I should wear them on our upcoming dates because he hated the teenager jewelry that I owned. My good judgment should have triggered right there but stupidly I kept the earrings and I wore them always, until I lost one of the earrings. I don't know how it happened but I couldn't find it anywhere and I didn't wear anything that night, as soon as I went inside of the car Damon noticed it and when I told him what happened he said that I was unappreciative of his gifts and that I should make it up to him by unzipping his pants and thanking him for paying for another meal."

Sage's eyes conveyed her anger. "He didn't just say that to you..."

"He laughed it out like it was just a bad rude joke but something about the way he said it lingered with me and I tried talking to my friends at the time about it but one said that he was hot and that she would have done anything that he asked of her while another said that it was all in my head because he took me to dinner and didn't mention sex for the rest of the night." Caroline had a little smile. "Looking back, all the signs were there and I just didn't want to see them."

"If any of the boys ever treated a woman like that I would stake them myself, or Rebekah." Sage vigorously stated.

Caroline smiled. "Whoever ends up being a Shellan to any of them will never have to endure any of the things I did." She said firmly convinced of her words.

* * *

"… yes Elijah, I understand that. I know…" Impatiently Kol tried to end the call. "I will be there." He had to cut this short very fast and simply turned his phone off.

How could he waste any time on a conversation with his brother when Bonnie was walking towards the bed so seductively?

She was wearing a lewd dark olive-green garter slip and a mini silk robe over it, with every step the wavy piece slid down her shoulder, framing her in a perfect caption that set Kol in a blaze.

"Is there an emergency?" Bonnie asked as she straddled him slowly on the bed.

"Everything is so endlessly irrelevant right this instant." He admired her with the same awe that he had for her ever since he first saw her.

That was clear for Bonnie who leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love the way that you talk so much baby." Her hands found a sneaking pattern under his shirt and with a swift move she started pulling his shirt up.

He helped her with it but fixated his eyes on her as she swept his chest with a loving touch.

"Are you really going to put my name in there?" With a slow lift she looked up at him.

"I'm going to ask Nik to engrave it in Norse." He replied dauntless.

Bonnie tugged his arms, gently asking him to sit up and once he did she cupped his neck. "I want everyone to know that I'm your Shellan." She whispered like it was a secret to keep for now. "And I want you to turn me."

"After the wedding?" Kol hid his hand under the abundance of her curls.

Bonnie nodded. "Your family will have to find another witchcraft helper."

"That was never your worth to any of us, especially to me darling."

She moved her cheek against the palm of his hand, tilting her head with a smile. "I'm so happy with you."

"And I with you." He kissed her lips, then her cheek, slowly drifting towards her ear before returning to her lips.

She warmed her way up his chest and caressed his shoulders but when their lips started to press with more intensity she pushed him down on the bed so that he was flat under her, she removed her robe exposing her searing lingerie and with a teasing move she slid down a bit, rubbing over a growing desire that she intended to attend with care.

Bonnie bent down kissing his chest, caressing skin with her lips while her hands became busy with his belt, Kol closed his eyes anticipating how evil her play would be and how right he was, for she was slow and fully in charge of his throaty moans for her name.

* * *

Caroline knocked on the door with a soft calling. "Are you busy?"

Klaus looked up from a series of maps and books all occupying his desk. "I'm talented on multitasking." He held a smile for her as well as his eyes on her.

"Fighting the Slayers is serious business and I don't want to distract you." She still went inside of the office.

"It's all a turf war. I push them off the land and they strike back by burning down a few cities where the vampires have created a home."

"But you don't do it for the domesticated vampires." Caroline picked up one of the books.

"It's a giant strategic game, they knock my pawns down and I eat all of their bishops."

"Because of Marcel?" Caroline couldn't comprehend a word of what she was reading but she knew that she was looking at the history of the White Oak Tree.

Klaus leaned against his desk for a seat. "My first shifting episodes caused a bit of a scandal because of my ferocious appetite." He easily said.

"Was there anyone left to classify it as a scandal?" She lifted her stare from the page with a teasing light in her eyes.

"It only takes one survivor to create a legend." He didn't drift far from a pout.

"When was this introduced to the story?" Caroline turned the book towards him.

"The witches weren't happy with the protagonist of said tale and used a rare white tree to conjure a weapon strong enough to hurt me, it is said that my mother gave birth to me under that same tree." He changed pages for her.

Caroline found the image of a wolf standing under the tree quite enchanting. "They used something like this on Henrik." Caroline recalled the story that Damon told her once.

"There are many arms produced after that tree but the deadliest are the stakes that can kill any of my siblings and the white daggers, the blade has white ash merged into it, those can cause hallucinations like the ones Rebekah suffered for weeks."

There was a sharp reaction in her eyes. "Is there any variation of these that can really hurt you?"

She seemed to swallow hard the word _kill_ and Klaus smiled because of that. "A pair of bewitching blue eyes causes more harm than any of these, sweetheart."

She didn't lower her eyes from his line of sight straight away and by the time she did it, she was smiling. "When Rebekah arrived she was talking about stakes that showed up in some town in Virginia, how come you didn't burn every single tree that existed in the world?"

"I was convinced that I did but occasionally a loophole happens and I'm not entirely in command of every plot against my demise."

"Too many blue eyes distracting you?" With a small dance that took her eyes from the table towards his face, she playfully eyed him.

He let out a brazen chuckle. "None of them nearly as beautiful as yours."

She answered back with a candid laughter. "You dance better than you flirt."

"Warriors don't flirt, they conquer." He had a hard time keeping his voice impervious and looked away from her.

Using that as advantage Caroline kept looking at him, truly he was a beautiful man and she spent the next seconds attentive to the strong line of his jaw, the prominent cheek bones that contrasted with his delicate nose, the form that his lips had, so rich and so full and she waited for the way they would curve when he noticed that she was looking at such details but Elijah was the hand of God bringing some sense to her divergent thoughts.

He tapped the door with his finger so that Klaus would look in that direction. "Kol is home."

"Grant me a minute." Klaus asked for a moment with Caroline before joining the others.

She was all over the seriousness of the conversation before he even uttered a sound.

"Stefan wanted the cure for his father and I bit him instead, I offered him the possibility to save himself or the old man, with no surprise he sent Giuseppe on a casket voyage and took over the Council this morning."

"I'm not sorry to see the Mayor go." Caroline admitted. "But you can't trust Stefan for a second, the self-righteous act is the face that he wears but he's a liar and a coward."

Smoothly breathing out Klaus straightened so that he could stand on his two feet and neared Caroline with that itching will to cup her face and let his palms bask in all that softness. "If he wasn't he would have dropped the formalities and confront me for what I did."

Smiling with a tiny roll of her eyes, she naturally disdained his way of putting things. "I don't think that anyone is that stupid."

"We had this dialogue before and settled that the world is full of idiots."

She responded to his smirk with a small sigh, it happened only a month ago and already it felt like eons had passed since that breakfast talk.

Unable to sustain the tiniest touch she was now effortlessly leaning against his soothing warmth and every day opening her eyes to how handsome and compelling he was, she should stick her eyes to the ground but she was constantly gazing at his fortitude as a man which started to trouble her.

As strongly as her throwback to their first moment inside of this very room, when she undressed for him and vulnerably waited for him to harshly ravish her body until he was tired.

"You are surely leading a great monologue but it's not coming out…" Playfully he whispered.

She had a small laugh. "You have people waiting for you." Instead of actually sending him away, she walked out of the office herself.

Klaus turned to watch her, he rather know which expectations consumed her.

* * *

Elijah finished his report over what happened back in the Salvatore mansion with a slow pace at the end because Kol wouldn't stop shaking his head.

"Bonnie is still human and she's too proud to accept full protection and I can't be in two places at the same time." He stood up fast. "I'm going with Bonnie to St. Petersburg, my vampires have control over the city and she will be safe there."

"We shouldn't scatter around now." Elijah asked him.

"No, he's right." Finn was the next to stand up. "The first thing that they will do is come after the women, it's what weakling creatures do."

"Sage is a better fighter than you are." Rebekah said without moving from her seat.

Finn looked at her without letting out a smile. "I don't care, my honor is to my wife and not to this war that you have against the Slayers. As artificial as this alliance to the Council was, it kept everything civilized, without it I'm not here to relive my _Drakkar_ days." He left followed by Kol.

Klaus, who had been silent walked over to Rebekah and handed her a glass. "We will call him back if we need a Captain to sail our vessel."

She waited for her drink discontent. "Why are you not threatening to leak everyone to death yet?"

"Hmmm." He smiled elated with their connection.

"Without any real wish to disturb the two of you…" Elijah slid his hands inside of the pockets of his pants. "I need to find Miss Katherine Pierce and the stakes that she took with her." He parted from the duo.

Now they were alone and Rebekah enjoyed her whiskey waiting to question the man who sat on the coffee table in front of her. "You have something planned for the two of us."

"A small journey to Bruges."

Rebekah changed her resting position in the sofa. "What's in Belgium?"

"A 15 year-old witch and a dirty old vampire."

"You found Marcel." Rebekah stared at him with a racing breath.

"Did you ever doubt that I would?" Klaus left his glass on the table as he stood to exit the library, he expected nothing less but for her to go to Belgium with him.

* * *

It was his turn to interrupt her and Klaus only knocked to be chivalrous, Caroline had seen him arrive while she was packing a bag with her clothes.

"Sage has been faster." He grimaced that she beat him to it and that she stole Caroline as her traveling companion.

"She told me about Stefan and the Council and she's going to Siena with Finn." Caroline folded another dress before continuing. "But I'm not going with her."

Literally his entire carriage suffered a blow and he sat on the bed processing her affirmation. "Or with me, if I were to ask you."

"I know that you planned on it…" She closed her bag and toyed with the lock instead of glancing at him.

"Why have you decided to leave then?"

"Because I would have said yes if you asked me to go anywhere with you." She looked at him at the same time that he searched for her eyes as well.

"I don't want to leave you behind Caroline." He was brutal in his honesty.

"I know." She replied simply to something so complex.

He needed a lot more than that and he got up on his feet relentless, his only brake was Caroline's reaction as she had a step backwards and away from him.

"I like you Klaus." Her voice started off weak. "I enjoy our talks and how calm I am when I'm with you but I arrived to this house inexistent and I'm still looking for myself. I need time to heal Klaus but I also need space to do it on my own, I don't want to depend entirely on someone else again or to feel that I don't exist unless I'm part of someone else's life."

He sort of accepted that. "Come what may, your presence in this house has not been irrelevant."

Caroline sprinted out a mouthful of air. "My life changed the moment that I took your hand but I don't want to stop here Klaus, I want to rediscover the world and to focus on myself for a bit."

"My egotism is blocking my everlasting support." He grumbled truly unpleased with her decision.

She smiled. "You've been so patient and good to me, are you sure that you can't show me a little amity now?"

"A lapse in my barbarous character is not evidence that I'm good." Klaus meant it to be somewhat harsh but it sounded as if he was dismal about her farewell.

Caroline lowered her head as he walked away but not her spirit, she took the bag and Dickens only to find an unlikely resistance at the door.

"I was stunned to learn about your decision from Sage." Elijah was holding an envelope in his hand and a gloomy expression on his face. "The mansion will be vacant now and all of our affairs will return to chaotic stage."

"You are an aristocrat family of vampires with no need to be mundane about taxes." She chuckled. "But thank you for making me feel useful and for giving me something else to think about while I was pushing Damon away from my thoughts."

"Your alertness is admirable Caroline." He warmly changed his expression into a smile. "And I wish you all the best." He handed out the envelope in his hand.

"What is this?" She felt her fingers around it knowing that she was holding a lot of money.

"Our agreement was two blood bags a day and our verbal contract still remains, I've only thrown a small bonus into it."

"By that, did you mean all of Al Capone's tax money?" She choke as she tried to count all the money that she was holding.

"It's only a little help for your start anew."

"I'm going to miss your quiet old-fashioned ways Elijah." She sweetly said.

An actual blush graced his features and Elijah touched his chest shaken. "I hope that our paths entangled again one day Miss Forbes."

He exited first and Caroline had a last look around the room before leaving, it was emotional to think how every day that she spent inside of this house was different from her point of view and how slowly she grew out of her darkness.

She closed the door with a lump in her throat and a tiny growing fear for leaving this unwavering shelter behind, when she turned around she jumped startled, so powerfully that Dickens almost flew out of her hands.

"You need to work on those senses of yours." Rebekah said with a low pitch.

"I will." Caroline tucked the cat closer to her chest.

"And don't slack on your training, practice every day because you don't know when you will need it."

"Okay." Caroline nodded.

Rebekah moved her hands behind her back and retrieved two ring Chinese daggers from under her leather jacket. "Keep them clean and under your pillow and don't invite anyone inside of your home, I don't care if it's a 10 year-old who lost his parents or a sweet old lady who lives next door. Don't trust anyone unless they have a Mikaelson surname."

Caroline accepted the daggers addled. "I'll remember all that and I won't forget about you."

"We're not friends." Rebekah instantly said. "Aside from that, take care of yourself." She half-smiled as she went to her room.

Caroline grinned that they reached so far and went down the hallway having fuzzy feelings.

Now that she was arriving to the staircase the worst was yet to come, she already knew that Sage would be waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and it didn't help that Sage was already teary-eyed.

"Are you sure that I can't change your mind?" Sage asked with a last resource feel.

Caroline stopped with a heavy heart and a shaking head. "I need to do this Sage."

"I know that…" Sage's voice lowered as she started to fight tears.

"Bandaids don't fix bullet holes." Caroline stated the inevitable. "If I don't go out there and do this without the help of an entire immortal family, I will never be whole again and it will be a big part of me that Damon took with him to the grave and I don't want him to win."

"We all knew that you were this strong, I just don't think that we were ready for you to leave." Sage's voice staggered.

"We can still talk every day." Caroline wrinkled her nose reacting to the stinging tears that were coming as well.

Sage nodded on the spot and gave Caroline a small package. "I've arranged for a list with all of our numbers and this is the key to the Jaguar, I want you to take it." She wrapped Caroline's hand around it.

Caroline refused. "I can't accept it Sage."

"Finn has 50 cars, he won't miss the Jag and I want to do this because you are like my little cub and it breaks my heart to let you go into the wild like that and…" Sage sighed. "I'm going to miss you very much."

Caroline hugged Sage with force. "Im going to miss you too. Thank you so much for everything…" She whispered.

"Promise me that you will be careful and that you will call me if you need anything." Sage asked.

"I will call you anyway." Caroline had a small laughter in the midst of a few tears.

Sage stroked her hair once they pulled away. "I have a really nice cottage in Siena and I have a room waiting if you ever decide to leave San Francisco."

Caroline nodded without speaking, she was getting her tears under control.

"Do you already know what you are going to do?" Sage was calming down as well.

"I really wanted to go to college before Damon wrecked my dream so I think that I'm going to try it now."

Sage had a deep breath. "Be ware of the parties, don't accept any drinks from strangers and pepper-spray is our friend. If things get out of control when you are feeding and you require help to get rid of the body, call me."

"Sage…" Caroline almost giggled.

"I never had any children and that's 900 years of repressed maternal love so be patient with me, after all, if I ever had a child I would love if she was exactly like you."

Caroline complained with a small noise, she would be in tears again.

Sage hugged her one last time. "Call me as soon as you settle in."

"I will, I promise." Caroline had a good deep breath before leaving.

There was still time for Sage to pet Dickens and tell him goodbye but she chose to stay in the lobby instead of walking Caroline to the car.

Caroline could listen to her sniffles as she closed the front door but suddenly her attention changed gears as she found Klaus waiting for her next to the Jaguar.

"I knew that you wouldn't let me go without saying proper goodbye." She spoke as she went down the stairs to the driveway.

"I thought of a good speech that would sway you to accept a first class ticket to Belgium but my self-centredness would be in vain considering how much I've proclaimed that none of this was to keep you with me."

Caroline left her bag on the passenger seat and released Dickens as well. "I'm not ready to be with anyone Klaus but if I was…" She looked at him with shimmering eyes.

The slow motion was probably all in her head but Klaus framed her cheek with a hand and then leaned over to brush a kiss on the other side of her face.

She closed her eyes and although he was caring he didn't push her by keeping the proximity or his touch on her and she opened her eyes with a different light in them.

"I'm a short phone call away." He assured her.

"I will bug you everyday with my rambles." She assured him back with joy.

"Expect great detailed reports of my killings."

His dashing face opened up to a smile and she concluded that that was the thing she would miss the most about him. "Try to rebuild your relationship with Rebekah, she misses you and you are just punishing her for falling in love with the wrong man."

Klaus growled unhappy.

She giggled. "You are not fooling anyone with your grumpy ways, you love her more than you let anyone know."

"Your humor strive remains a mystery to me." He cocked an eyebrow.

She laughed.

The day was on its way and Klaus knew that the further they postponed this, the harder it would be to drive in separate roads so he took something from his pocket. "This house will always be open for you but I've made preparations and there is a residence at Mission Bay that is yours for as long as you want it."

She stared at the key with a small flick of her tongue across her lips. "Maybe just until I get my own place." She was inclined to accept.

"It would leave me at peace if you really chose to stay there because the address is protected by witchcraft, there's a witch loyal to me who placed a spell on the location that stops any supernatural creature from going inside without consent. Gloria is her name and she will be waiting for you."

She took the keys unable to shake how protective Klaus could be without interfering with her independence. "Where is the address?"

He smiled elated and handed her a piece of paper. "Drive safely."

"You too." She kept their goodbye playful and sweet. "You still owe me a trip to Japan and I will collect on that one day." She went around the car.

At the wheel she had to calm her nerves by breathing hard but she was not looking back as she started the car, well she did sneak a last glance at the man standing on the driveway, it was by no means easy to leave him but she drove away with hopes that the next time they met, she would be more herself than she was now.

* * *

Caroline drove extra slowly now that she was reaching the street number in the paper, she stopped the car next to the deep-red house with green windows and looked at her side. "I think this is it Dickens, are you ready to know your new home?"

Dickens leaped to her lap eager for a look himself, Caroline liked what she saw so far and she left the car eager to know more.

The neighborhood was relatively new and the houses were all beautiful and colorful, most of them were still on ground level and just across the street there was a green Park, she also knew that there was a Campus nearby for some medicine university.

She turned to the door on time to see it open up for her and to meet the gorgeous woman who greeted her with a big smile.

"You have to be Caroline." The black woman with short blond hair introduced herself. "I'm Gloria."

"You are drop dead gorgeous." Caroline said without filtering.

"Which means that you and I are going to get along just fine." Gloria laughed and stepped to the side. "I invite you in."

Caroline had a small step cautious about her fresh start.

"Don't be scared, Klaus told me that you've been through a rough patch and that you are here to get back on your feet." She touched Caroline's hand. "Do you feel that? I'm only hear to guide you."

Caroline felt this incredibly good energy that made her smile. "How long have you known Klaus?" Caroline skimmed her eyes through the living room, it was typically cozy like a familiar home.

"For 116 years." Gloria easily replied.

Caroline narrowed her eyebrows, she wouldn't have given Gloria more than 40, without taking attention to how she had the body of a perky 20 year-old girl.

"It's called a longevity spell so I'm a lot older than that but I need a lot of alcohol to confess the real number." She smirked with that same easiness oozing out of her.

"It's a really nice home." Caroline cursed Klaus inwardly, he made sure that she had that safety net with her even now that she moved out of the Brotherhood mansion, somehow this house felt like coming home.

"I live just next door but come, let me show you around." Gloria directed her to the big kitchen.

It obviously wasn't used a lot but Caroline marveled on the sweet aroma of a freshly made orange cake that came in from the window.

The house only had one floor and next to the kitchen was the laundry room, Dickens loved the place because he saw a basket and instantly called it home.

Caroline gasped when he jumped from her arms to hide in the basket. "Hey…" she scolded Dickens but the cat loudly released a meow.

"He just found his bed." Gloria moved along to show Caroline hers. "I have some new sheets and a quilt but I haven't done anything else to the bedroom, since everything else is already decorated I thought that you would like to have some of your taste in here."

Caroline walked into a spacious room where the bed was literally the only furniture. "Klaus said that the house was… protected?" There was no need to be sure but asking again wouldn't hurt.

Gloria nodded. "The original house belonged to Henrik and the Slayers killed him in here, he was stabbed with a white oak stake in the heart and he burned to ashes right where the living room is. The fire destroyed everything right to the foundation so Klaus called me to make a special spell using Henrik's essence, later he rebuilt the house but kept it closed up. I always felt that he was saving the house for something special." She had a long look at Caroline. "I'm going to make dinner at my house, my Caldo Verde is the best in town and you and your cat are invited." She offered.

The young vampire managed a smile, even though she was overwhelmed.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

Whatever happened to my Rock 'N' Roll (punk song) – _Black Rebel Motorcycle Club_

Verdadeiro (acoustic) – _Diogo Piçarra_

Big girls don't cry (personal) – _Fergie_

Eternity – _Robbie Williams_

Flashlight – _Jesse J_


	9. Fresh paint

Caroline checked herself on the reflexion that was coming from the door in front of her, the mirrored surface was covered in flowers and she could see a classy girl looking back at her.

She frowned, who in its right mind went to an interview at an arts school wearing such an elegant and fancy outfit?

"Ugh." Caroline quickly removed the women's blazer and undid the way that her hair was all trapped in a simple bun, she shook her hair to free her curls and straightened her back when the door moved.

"She will see you now." A cute girl with blue eyes and short black hair gave her permission to go inside.

Caroline wheezed out a massive deep breath before she went to the Dean's office, it was striking for Caroline that the chair still belonged to the same person and that by addition that she looked exactly the same as the day she interviewed Caroline.

At the time it had been a bright and stimulating conversation but undeniably things would be different now, for a start Caroline was shy now and full of doubts.

She looked at the little name tag resting on the Dean's desk.

**Jenna Sommers.**

"Caroline Forbes." The beautiful blonde behind the tittle started. "I was wondering if you would really come today."

Caroline barely lifted her eyes from the desk. "I think that I would have ran away if you took another 10 minutes to see me." She had a small smile. "It was already so unexpected that you agreed to this meeting without a formal precedent."

"Here at the Academy we don't take things so serious." Jenna oozed calmly.

It was the sort of hope that Caroline really needed. "I'm sure that you don't remember me but I was here three years ago for an interview, I left my portfolio back then and I was supposed to come back for another interview but… I was hold back at the time." She tried not to lower her voice.

Jenna moved a file to her left and from under it a colorful book peeked at Caroline. "I do remember you."

Caroline's mouth was open in shock and she stared at Jenna bewildered.

Jenna had another long look at the portfolio, enjoying it as much now as she recalled enjoying it at the other meeting. "There is so much talent in these that I always wondered whatever happened to the bubbly girl who impressed me that day."

"I have no idea how this works but if I went back to school and did the tests all over again, could I apply to a vacancy in here?" She asked visibly showing how many hours she had put into this.

"I'm happy that you didn't try to compel me to accept you right away."

Caroline froze without a blink.

Jenna crossed her hands in front of Caroline to show her the daylight ring that she was wearing herself. "I was turned last year and since then I've started to love second chances."

"This is my second chance, it's what I always wanted to do before my life was interrupted." Caroline smiled when Jenna returned the portfolio to her. "I thought that this was lost…" she became emotional as she saw her work again.

"Would you change anything about it?" Jenna asked insightful.

"My oil paintings need a little improvement." Caroline stroked the pages with the pictures.

Jenna leaned back on her chair. "What about the rest?"

"I'm working on it." Caroline had a sigh.

"Let's go have a walk so that I can show you the institution, there were minor changes since you were last here and I would like to give you the tour myself." Jenna left her desk and waited for Caroline to join her for a walk, on the way to the hallway she picked up a file that her secretary handed to her.

Caroline looked at the huge dossier wondering what huge part in her future hid inside of it.

"You still have to do the testes, I can find a way to admit you in the middle of a semester but I would be calling too much attention if I simply enrolled you without an explanation."

"How long do I have to prepare myself?" Caroline gulped down as she accepted the conditions.

"The first exam is in two weeks." Jenna opened the first door down the corridor. "What's your passion Caroline? Are you interested in Entertainment or maybe Liberal arts…" Jenna narrowed her eyes.

Caroline had a glimpse into the big room where a group was rehearsing a play. "Fine art." She didn't say it in a loud voice so that she didn't disturb the class.

"There is a classical aura about you." Jenna totally supported her choice on that one.

They moved to another floor where she guessed to have found the students of Design, it was a really cool introduction to the university but Caroline's excitement really kicked in when they walked up to the third floor.

Jenna gave her a brief introduction into Printmaking, Sculpture and Painting and Caroline couldn't decide right away what she liked the most but she was yearning to get her hands dirty.

Literally.

* * *

"_We know where they are but Nik decided to have a little fun yesterday and went to have a drink at a local bar._"

Kol smiled while looking down from the window, it was raining massively but the mansion was guarded by men who were impervious to it. "He was in a mood?"

Rebekah laughed. "_One of his moody moods._"

Kol could hear the annoyed laughter of their brother in the background. "Where are you now?"

"_Driving to the location where Marcel is hiding with his witch._"

"Keep me informed about the sequel of Nik's mood."

"_What argument did you use to move Bonnie all the way to Russia?_" Klaus' voice echoed.

"What are you ever talking about? It's my engagement present and you are all meeting up with us soon for one of those family reunions that she so eagerly wants."

Klaus and Rebekah laughed knowing in how much trouble he was.

"She loves me too much to kill me." Kol unwavering said.

When the mocking laughter increased he ended the call ruthlessly.

He easily drifted to his bedroom and found someone else who was impervious to the rain, Bonnie was dancing and bouncing up and down on the huge bed, she was listening to some really loud music and jumping happily on the mattress and every time she bounced up her hair beautifully followed her movements, she had found one of his formal buttoned up shirts and was happy wearing it loosely over her underwear.

"Whoever said that rainy days were tedious was demented." He came closer to the bed.

Bonnie laughed jumping one more time before settling to simply dance for him, not in an erotic way but objectively as someone who loved life and in addition loved that he was part of it. "Dance with me." She shouted over the loud song.

Before he answered her, the phone on his hand started ringing. "It's Elijah." He apologized.

Bonnie shrugged carrying on with her lively activity. "I'll be here dancing."

Kol wished that his phone call would be short but that was always the hardest whenever the conversation was with Elijah, that one loved words like no one.

* * *

Caroline had to close the car door with her foot because she was holding a huge pile of books, on the way to her house she stopped for a smiling greeting. "Hi Gloria."

The woman lifted her glass so that she could point at the stack of books. "That is a great look on you."

"I'm going to college." Caroline beamed.

"That calls for some celebration." Gloria was enjoying the day on her porch and sipped on her cold drink.

"Is that lemonade?" Caroline's doubt was visible by the way she scrunched her eyebrows.

Gloria cocked hers. "It's ice cold vodka lemonade and I have a jar full of it." She said it as an invite.

"Maybe later." Caroline thanked her warmly but moved on to her house.

"Dickens, I'm home." She said as soon as she stepped inside.

Her cat was defying the laws of gravity by having a stroll along the shoulder of one of the kitchen chairs and he had a soft meow for her.

Caroline rested the books on the table before taking the strap of her bag from over her shoulder, she had also bought a computer and she happily showed it to Dickens.

"Look, it's white like you." She waved the small squared object that she was holding.

Dickens lifted his paw with another meow, he wasn't impressed by the shiny toy and his interest was only for the blonde.

Caroline picked him up for a cuddle which granted her a purr. "How was your day? Do you like our new home?"

Dickens rubbed his head against the surface under her chin, like a sharp feline sense that allowed him to understand what she was saying and answering as he could.

At least the thought that he would be that evolved made Caroline sigh and she stroked his belly while scattering the books on the table, she had a lot of reading to do in order to prepare for her exams but she elusively bought a different book during her literature hunt and it was that one that she opened up for a bit of exploring on the Japanese culture.

She sat with Dickens over her lap but as she became enthralled by what she was reading and time passed the cat decided to leap to the floor for a walk and Caroline pulled the chair closer to the table deeply involved by a particular chapter.

The book had a passage on the female samurais, the _Onna-bugeisha_ and Caroline was sold on the story of women who were warriors in time of war and trained in the use of weapons to protect their household, family and honor but none impressed her more than the tale of _Tomoe Gozen_, wife of Minamoto Yoshinaka of the Minamoto clan.

"_During the Battle of Awazu on February 21, 1184, she rode into the enemy forces, flung herself on their strongest warrior, unhorsed, pinned, and decapitated him._" Caroline read. "She sounds like Sage." She mused. "_She was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swords-woman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill and rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors._"

Caroline put the book down thoughtful, history was full of tales from women who defied society laws and imposed themselves as valid options against what tradition expected of them and there were men who treated them with respect.

Then there was this horrible number where she was included, women who started of independent and ready to bend the world to their will and somehow ended up quiet, acquiescing and inexpressive of any opinion and subjugated to men who were unable to see them as persons.

Despondent about her boiling memories Caroline decided that it was the perfect time to try her bathtub.

* * *

He was finally done and getting dressed, with an arduous motion Caroline turned on the bed so that she could face him.

As usual Damon had his smug smile imprinted on his face and winked at her as he closed up his pants, all that Caroline wanted to do was to scream at him in revolt but like it often happened she was in pain and shamed that once again he had reduced her to a sex toy.

Caroline pressed her dress against her chest, the front was intact because he had only destroyed the back so that he could feed from her while he…

She cringed as the replay of what just happened crossed her mind, at the same time that her tears came to her eyes a cold afflicted her bones, it was a constant cold that just wouldn't leave her.

"Did I bite you too hard?" He stroked her chin as if he was capable of actual feelings.

Caroline pulled her head back to get away from his touch.

It only made Damon snap and forcefully hold her chin. "I asked you a question, pet."

Caroline grabbed his wrist trying to put up a fight but Damon only moved his hand to her throat, with the emerging violence she calmed down. "No."

"No, what?" He hissed at her.

"We aren't in the red room Damon." She reminded him. "In there I have to live up to your demented fantasies but in here I don't have to do it."

He easily laughed in her face. "You are my pet Caroline, you belong to me and I make the rules, not the other way around."

"You don't know your rules anymore." She confronted him. "What did I do this time to earn me this?"

Damon's hold around her eased up a notch. "You know that I don't make love, if that's what you're complaining about."

"You pushed me down on the bed, ripped my dress apart and assaulted me while you fed from me." She went as far as describing what he just did with a tiny hope that hearing it would sparkle any humanity in Damon.

"You know that I like it a little harsh…" He placed a tiny gap between them.

For the first time Caroline saw a fraction of something that she could use to reach him. "You don't have to hurt me so much Damon or to constantly force yourself on me."

He scoffed while picking up his shirt from the floor. "It's not like you are naturally inclined to do all the things that I like."

"Not everything about us has to be about sex Damon…" She was so tired of being reduced to that alone.

"Do you mean that we should talk like all the other normal couples do?" He closed up his shirt annoyed.

"You never talk to me." She replied in a low voice whilst leaving the bed.

"If I want an articulated conversation I will talk to my father and I have Stefan to talk to when I'm in the mood for some intelligent and challenging topics."

Caroline was on her way to the bathroom but she stopped hurt by his words. "If I'm so stupid, why are you keeping me captive?"

"Because you are my little obsession." He spoke as if it was his confession to her and he walked over to her with a lust that he didn't hide. "I get turned on by just looking at you and all that I can think about is being with you." He reached out to touch her but Caroline recoiled from his hand so again with force he brought her closer to him. "All day when I'm away, all that I can think about is being inside of you." He pressed his lips against her cheek and her body against his. "I think about all the ways that I want to be inside of you." He lowered his hands down her back indifferent to the way that she was pushing him away. "How I want to bend you over and take you…"

Caroline forced him to stop by successfully hustling him away from her. "I hate you." She screamed at him.

"Do you now?" He muttered between teeth.

"Yes." Caroline screamed again, this time in the midst of angry tears.

"You have no notion of how many have begged me to do that to them and this is your way of acting when I'm faithful to you? I could have 100 like you."

"Then have them all and let me go." She managed the tiniest control over her desperate tears.

"I don't want you to leave and you don't want that either."

She nodded. "I do. I can't stand being here anymore."

"If it's going to stop all the girly drama, I can get a new house for us." He switched back to that apparent care.

Perhaps he was touched by her anguish but Caroline's hope was like thin ice breaking under her feet and she didn't trust him. "I want to get away from you."

"Why?" His voice dropped to an alarming tone.

"Because I can't stand being touched by you anymore, because everything that you do to me repulses me and I just want it all to stop."

"We will stop when I think that it's time to stop." There was a visceral obscurity in his voice.

"And what will you do to me then?" She asked with a clenching panic taking over her.

"I will tie you up to the bed and set the room on fire." He coldly eyed her. "No other man will ever have you because I love you."

Staggering Caroline breathed harshly through her fat tears. "You don't know how wrong you are about love."

He chuckled. "I suppose the baby vampire is now going to explain love to me."

"I don't know what it is either but it has to be more than… this." She agonized about the thought that love was the hell that Damon built for her.

"My father is right, you are ungrateful for all the things that I've given you."

"Your father is a dirty old pervert who thinks that the painful screams that come from our bedroom is proof of his son's virility."

"Shut up Caroline."

She had a deep breath. "And your brother is a spineless coward."

"What about me?"

"You're just someone who needs to compel women to stop existing so that you can prove to yourself that you are a man despite the fact that you cannot stand up to your own father." She voiced out her brave testimony.

In a flash Damon snapped her neck in anger.

* * *

Caroline opened her eyes under water, her memory of what happened that day didn't stop there, she woke up hours later in the same cold floor but with news of Damon's cutthroat revenge.

He went back to her old apartment and set fire to it, all of her paintings burned along with what she had left from her human life and after that day Caroline's bravery died along with her art work.

Caroline sat up taking a breather now that she was no longer under water and folded her knees to hug her legs, she remained in the bathtub thinking of how sharp Damon's move had been, by destroying what she estimated the most he took away the reference of what it felt for her to be human and she became an obedient vassal after that.

The water was still hot but that horrible cold returned so Caroline left her bathroom wrapped up in a fluffy warm towel, she found Dickens sleeping on her pillow and although she made some noise while slipping into her tank top and shorts he didn't open his eyes a single time.

Her company was defiantly committed to a nap so Caroline headed back to the living room with a long cardigan that restored some warmth back to her body.

She had a bag of blood while rearranging her books by the order that she would study them, she also started a list of topics and goals because she had very little time to catch up on everything.

What really scared her though were the essays required but she would dedicate herself to those later, for now she had to start preparing for her first exam and hopefully keep her mind busy enough to push away her past from her thoughts.

* * *

The young girl was taking pictures of everything, the landscape was so different from what she was used to and she wanted to keep that in her phone forever. "Could you please slow down the car? I can't take any decent pictures if you keep on speeding through the streets." She scolded the driver.

The man in the front smiled. "This is not a sightseeing voyage Davina, we have to keep moving. Remember what Marcel told you, no one must know where we are."

Davina put away her phone discouraged. "When will we see Marcel again?"

"No one knows but it's safer that way. We can't afford to take unnecessary risks."

"Where are we going Thierry?" Davina didn't know the route that he was taking.

"There are rumors that the Originals arrived yesterday so I'm taking you to a safe house."

"Ok." She simply said, she could still admire the beautiful houses during the ride.

It wasn't a very long one and Thierry pulled over in front of a beautiful yellow house, she was faster than him and opened the door before he had a chance to do it.

They walked together to the front door but she only went inside of the house after he took the initiative, the house was big with two main floors and a staircase that caused Davina to gawk at it.

"It's too quiet in here." Thierry assessed. "Mary? Thomas?" He called without answer.

"Maybe they went out for coffee?" Davina innocently suggested.

Thierry took her arm to lead her back outside but her scream echoed through the house as a body was dumped over the small inner balcony.

It was a woman and she didn't plummeted to the floor because a rope around her neck forced her to dangle from the structure.

Thierry knew that the hanging was all for show because Mary was grey and desiccated already but he understood how traumatic the view was for a 16 year-old. "We have to leave Davina." He dragged her to the door.

Rebekah cut them of. "I wouldn't exit just yet, the party is only starting for you."

Thierry vamped his features but had his neck twisted by Klaus who materialized just behind him.

Davina angrily looked at Rebekah. "I can really hurt you."

"That's endlessly adorable of you." She tossed the girl across the room by just hauling her by the arm.

Davina crashed against the wall and fell to the floor unconscious.

"Was that as underwhelming for you as it was for me?" Klaus grumbled next to his sister.

"She probably was speaking the truth because Marcel wouldn't be publicly traveling with her if she wasn't valuable."

"I just thought that he exponentially lowered his standards."

Rebekah was on her way to handcuff Davina but looked at Klaus stunned. "That was almost a nice compliment."

"I wouldn't expect another one." Klaus dragged Thierry by the arm as he walked out of the room.

Rebekah responded with a big smile.

* * *

"… _don't put too much salt into it, the meat already has all the flavors._" Sage recommended.

Caroline took notes of that as well. "Okay." She looked at the paper with the recipe. "I'm ready to try _black pork with rice_."

"_I wish that I was cooking for everyone_." Sage pouted from the other side of the phone call.

"Have you heard from the others?" Caroline strategically asked without mentioning anyone in particular.

"_Finn spoke to Klaus today, it seems that he is in a bit of a touchy mood because his peaceful days at the house are long gone._"

Caroline twiddled some nonsense in the top corner of the paper sheet. "Wasn't he barely at the house? I'm sure that he doesn't miss his office that much."

"_He misses the pretty guest who would wait for him in the staircase._"

Caroline pressed her lips, maybe she was feeling a bit nostalgic as well.

"_But tell me, how is your college affair progressing? How many classes will you have? Tell me everything._" Sage asked honestly in search to listen to everything that Caroline had to share with her.

Caroline started right from the start. "I met with the Dean and she was super nice and then she…"

* * *

Katherine was waiting with a smile for the car approaching and she was happier to see the man stepping out of it with a brown squared box under his arm.

"This one was hard to get." The man said with a cigarette that he held between his lips.

"If it was easy to collect I wouldn't waste my time with it." She held a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

The man opened the box revealing a clear stone that was commonly known as the _moonstone_. "Do you have my payment doll?"

Her smile was bigger now and she took something from her bag, the man expected a huge load of money but not the gun that she used to shoot him between the eyes.

His cigarette flew along with the box that he dropped, Katherine put the smoking piece to rest by squishing it with her peep-toe sandal and took the moonstone to keep.

Almost inaudible someone approached and Katherine turned fast and ready to use the gun again, however her menace was blocked by Elijah who stood so close to her that if he was breathing, it would tickle her face.

"I would appreciate if you didn't pull the trigger." He smiled at her. "I am wearing one of my favorite suits."

"It hasn't taken you long to find me." Her chin maintained high and her eyes were on his the entire time.

"I'm thankful for your respect."

"Everyone should love a good cat and mouse game as much as I do."

"Your on and off has declared war on my family and I'm aware that a few stakes have slipped through his fingers."

Katherine sighed. "Stefan has nice hair and he's a fairly good lover but his battle tactics are seldom irrational and without much sense."

"I'm touched by the way that you've depicted your great love for him."

She laughed at the same time that she put the gun away and kept the stone inside of her bag. "I take care of myself Elijah and by addition I care only about myself."

He tilted his head to look at the corpse behind her. "I'm a tad surprised that you haven't used your bare hands to kill him."

She looked at her long red nails. "I don't like getting my hands dirty."

They shared a long look before Elijah spoke again.

"This has been enchanting but I require those stakes back, miss Pierce."

"They aren't in here." She walked to her car, stopping at the door. "Did you bring your car or do you need a ride?"

"I will follow you close by." He guaranteed.

"Sounds like my kind of fun." She gave him a little flirtatious wink before getting inside of her Maserati.

* * *

For the first time that she cooked a recipe that wasn't hers it hadn't been a total disaster and she ate three quarters of her meal which was a big step from the usual little tasting that she had.

Caroline also had a glass of red wine and she was going to enjoy a second one on the sofa.

She had a book about _Still Life painting_ to finish but even if she tried she wouldn't focus enough to read it now so she unlocked her phone, only to lock it again and drop it on the sofa keen on ignoring it.

Dickens scooped in for some cuddles and Caroline had a little distraction for the time being, still her eyes drifted to the phone.

* * *

Klaus slowed his pace as he entered the room, Thierry was strapped to the ceiling with his arms stretched out by chains and his chest had several cuts.

Rebekah was circling around the man with slow paces and a knife in her hands, it was really like unleashing a kid into a candy store.

"And why are you loosely trying your blade on his chest?" Klaus twiddled his fingers with a squint.

"I'm bleeding him of vervain." She promptly answered.

"I'm not on vervain." Thierry repeated with clenched teeth.

She parted her arms apologetic. "I correct that, I'm bleeding him."

Klaus laughed almost endeared. "I suppose that your sadism needed an escape."

"I was going to start interrogating him now." Rebekah said with a playful smile. "Do you want to aid?"

He was still laughing but reaching inside of his jacket because his phone was vibrating. "Awfully tempting, however…" He frowned unable to recognize the number on the screen. "Someone else needs a word with the world's most charming creature."

"Second." Rebekah was unhappy to leave her status.

"This calls for a liquored debate later." He was about to take the call.

"You drink and I brawl this time." She said loudly as he walked away from her.

"Hello." Klaus said in his crispy serious voice.

"Hi…" The most timid reply came from the other end.

"Caroline." He softened up his voice instantly.

"Am I disturbing something really evil and stuff?" For a second she regretting taking action and calling him.

"I have nothing but time for you sweetheart." He closed himself in the office.

She smiled snuggling in her sofa. "I wanted to thank you for the house and for my neighbor, Gloria is really nice and fun."

"It sounded fitting to give the house to you." He poured some bourbon into a glass before sitting at the desk.

"It's a house with too much history to give it to someone in ruins." She accused how hard the memories had taken her esteem down today.

"You know love…" He rested his boots on top of the desk. "They've rebuilt Rome over ruins and it turned out nothing short but breathtaking."

"I've heard that it's really pretty."

"If you drop the negative approach I will gladly take you on a trip there."

"My first day alone was great but I also fell back into some old thoughts." She admitted quietly.

"So you've missed me dearly." He sipped on his drink.

"Lightly…" She dropped in a tease before drinking from her wine.

He had a strong thick laugh. "There was a reference to how great your day has been..."

"I applied to college and I went to an interview today."

"By the tone I can tell that it had a vast good response." He smiled happy that she was securely taking the reigns of her life back.

"I have a vacancy at the Academy of Art if I pass a stack of exams and deliver an essay on something by my choice."

She would have seen the shine of pride in his eyes if they were face to face. "Have you rounded up your choices yet?"

"I discovered Van Gogh when I was in high school so I know a lot about him and it would be easier to write about something that I already have a background from."

"He was on all accounts bipolar and a bit of a total nutcase."

Caroline had a tiny laughter, finding him silly for using the expression.

"He was also addicted to absinthe, the drink of artists and those who are not afraid to lose their mind once in a while."

"How many bottles did you drink with him?" She bit her lip lightly, it was a blunt poke that carelessly left her.

He grinned rile up by her sass. "Too many sweetheart, so much that I cannot sustain the very smelly of it to this day."

She finished her drink before shooting an easy question. "Did he really eat yellow paint because he wanted to get some happiness inside of him or is it all part of some urban legend?"

He twirled the rest of his drink inside of the glass. "Humans are capable of the most jarring actions to get a grip on some moment of happiness, regardless of how frivolous it might turn out to be."

"Life is evanescent itself."

"I vouch that yours has only began."

Smiling she played with a stray of her golden hair. "I just want to outlive my 3 Written Communication courses, 4 Art Historical Awareness courses, 1 Employment Communications and Practices course, 1 Historical Awareness course, 1 Quantitative Literacy course and 1 Cultural Ideas and Influences course. Not to mention that I have to take Liberal arts as well." She rested her head on the sofa, she also had a ludicrous amount of classes that covered everything that went from Visual Communication to Technical Execution.

"I envision that the next three years will be very fulfilling but ultimately an easy stroll for you."

She latched on to his wise voice. "I'm so anxious now that I think about what I'm about to get myself into…"

He shook his head. "The girl who stepped into the sun after years in the darkness will undergraduate on top of her class."

"I aspire to match up to your mammoth expectations." She grumbled with a decline of her eyebrows.

"And I to receive another phone call tomorrow."

She curved the corner of her lips as a soft giving in to a cheeky smile. "I might not call you because I have to study, now that you've placed my future in sky-scrapping altitudes."

"I do love these conversations that we have, sweetheart."

Caroline's cheeks gained a little color. "I like talking to you too Klaus…" She pressed her toes together, keeping her eyes on her feet. "Is everything ok with you?"

"I initiated a meagre bar brawl yesterday." He clasped his lips just as though he was expecting a reprimand.

"Were any Slayers involved?" She stroked Dickens' head as he laid on top of her feet.

"Not entirely… I was… bored." He evaluated his mood.

"Was Rebekah there with you?"

"Yes." He breezed out.

Caroline leaned her head to a side. "That counts as bonding… sort of."

He beamed at the outcome. "We might share another brawling activity tonight."

Softly she had a gentle laugh. "Have fun then, I have a book to finish and some research to do for my composition."

"Goodnight sweetheart." He bid farewell a bit reluctant, it was so refreshing to speak to someone as witty as Caroline was.

Her goodbye came slowly as well. "Goodnight Klaus."

She terminated the call bittersweet, his voice had such a soothing effect on her but now that she had ended the conversation she realized that she had thought about all the different expressions that he pulled during certain answers and it all alluded to how well she was beginning to know him.

Dickens licked her feet making her giggle with tickles and she picked him up happy.

"D… I think that my inspiration just barged into the room." She told him after she jumped from the sofa with the cat in her arms.

* * *

Katherine tossed her things on top of her bed, the accommodations were iffy for her standards but she was living on the run and the only luxury that she had was a bottle of _Macchu Pisco_.

She filled one glass for her and one for Elijah. "It's my favorite drink and I hope that you like it."

"Perhaps what I enjoy the most is the way that you continue to introduce yourself to me." He knew the beverage although he hadn't seen a bottle of it in quite some time.

"Then I should be fair and tell you that I come from a long line of thieves and that I did better than all the generations before me." She circled her finger around the cruddy space. "Don't let the pesky rented room fool you."

"A woman of façades." He savored the Peruvian drink.

"There are a lot of people after me Elijah."

"The stakes are profitable and there is a market for it."

She dipped her glass at him. "The stakes are only the top of the pile, it all runs a lot deeper than that."

"Which I'm sure that you want me to dig."

"Don't worry, I will do it for you." She leaned back against a casing. "Do you know how I got my hands on those beautiful white stakes?"

"You bargained with Marcel."

"I dated him." She placed it all under clean tracks.

Using the information that Klaus gave him, Elijah tried to do some math but she was kind enough to elucidate him.

"For two weeks before he found out who I was, sadly for Marcel though by then I knew everything there was to know about him. Men do tend to have a loose tongue when they are happy."

"You are insinuating to this grand importance so how did he allowed you to walk away?"

"I used to be a witch before I was turned into a vampire and I offered to do something for Marcel in exchange for my getaway."

"You have my entire attention." Elijah glided a hand inside of the pocket of his suit pants.

"This story will not make sense unless I start it from the beginning. It all starts with a man called Rudy Gerard, a man of family who went out one day to buy milk and ended up on another state. Abandoning his wife and his two children, Marcel and the youngest sister called Amanda."

Elijah's eyes widened the slightest, he was utterly clueless that Marcel had a sister.

"I know." Katherine dangled her empty glass for a refill. "Now the story turns sad because Marcel's mother couldn't take the heartache and drank until she was six feet under. Parentless by age 16 Marcel underwent on some rogue phase and started hanging out with the wrong crowd, a local gang that turned out to be the right outlet for his anger. He became so good at letting out his temper that a year later he was the head of the gang and the boss of everything that happened from one end of the bridge to the other. By age 19 he has a hot girlfriend and a hot seat because vampires start arriving to town in search for the easy life that everyone knows that the King leads, that's how Marcel is known by then."

Elijah had his alcohol perplexed that all this was new to him.

"The King starts fighting the vampires off his land, the territory that he conquered by blood. They kill his girlfriend, he declares war on them and practices with his gang to find ways to kill them, resolute he gets good at it and crushes the small contingent but vampires hate being affronted like that and start flocking to town set on killing him. So Marcel becomes the bloodied version of Martin Luther King and starts preaching against the vampires, recruiting new soldiers for his cause, again he is so good at it that the vampires back away because the humans are too good at killing them. The problem now is that Marcel's men get cocky and gain a taste for blood shedding and they start slaying everyone, even those vampires leading a peaceful life, those who are integrated in society or attending college." Knowingly she stopped.

Elijah reacted. "When does my brother enter all of this?"

"Henrik arrives to San Francisco right in the middle of this sizzling mess, Marcel's men are out of control and there's a small rebellion surging among the vampires, a resistance that is led by a courageous feisty woman."

Elijah's lips parted anticipating it.

"Amanda, who by now is so estranged from her brother, the one that she practically lost touch with, she lives on Campus and only hears of the horrible things that his gang is doing and she fights for her friends, the new family that she found in college, girls and boys who are vampires and who only feed from blood bags. When she meets Henrik it's all cosmic and epic and they fall in love hard, rumor has it that he turned her after what I'm assuming was a earth shattering night of passion and Marcel is not particularly happy that his baby sister is now on the other side of the fence."

"It's still a big step to reach the point where things went so final."

"Amanda came to see him, asked him to step down from his war. If he did that she would ask Henrik to stop chasing Marcel's assassins. He is willing to do as she asks but the problem is that he no longer has any control over his crew, and when they get their hands on a white piece they march over to Henrik's house ready to slay him. He puts up a fight but they still manage to kill him and Amanda. Blinded by grief Marcel waits for his crew to return to the house and kills them all."

"Yet he still blames us."

"Do you believe that a lightening strikes twice in the same place?"

"I do." He lived long enough to know that.

"I didn't before Marcel told me his story, which goes back to Rudy Gerard, now living in some small town in Virginia and trying to reconnect with his other family, the one that he visited from time to time and that he kept hidden from his widow in San Francisco. When they all came on vacation here he never saw it coming." She smiled.

"Kol and Bonnie." Elijah breathed out incredulous.

"Rudy now has a choice, to disclose his hidden past or to let things be, considering how Bonnie is an adult with free will and all. If you ask me he's a crappy father anyway so she's better of with your brother."

"They are happy together." Elijah analyzed the other complex ramifications of what he just heard.

"Marcel found a way to transition to a vampire and he plotted and plotted until he targeted your sister. Everything that went down since he seduced Rebekah was a part of his grudge against your family, he sees it as if you are responsible for stealing two of his sisters and he's not going to stop until he gets his revenge."

"And what have you done for him as a favor?" Elijah rarely deviated from his focus.

Katherine adored that small detail about him and smiled seductively. "All this talking has made me hungry so you can buy me dinner and then I'll wrap this story nicely for you."

* * *

It needed more red and Caroline looked at her floor trying to choose a can, she decided on deep red and it was a powerful contrast with the sky-blue of his eyes.

Caroline took a step back enjoying immensely what would soon be completed, a big canvas with a portray of Klaus dressed as a Samurai.

She had seen so many pictures that she retained the biggest aspects of it but changed it to sooth him, the armor was red and black but his face was uncovered.

The sword was precisely as she recalled the Viking beauty that belonged to him and it was dripping of blood as she identified him the most, his face was smeared with the same deep red that scared so many but if Caroline had to describe a perfect romantic hero then it had to be like this.

A hard face dirty with blood, messy dirty-sand curls and an armor that kept his heart unattainable and a powerful sword that was as solid and unbreakable as his own unique power.

She breathed out happy and smiled while running a hand through her own messy curls, her face was dirty with paint and her clothes were fragile as her heart, it was definitely the opposite of the imperial presence before her.

There was a ferocity about Klaus that was amazing to watch but his eyes were the true appeal, wild with rage sometimes yet soft as a warm summer day when he looked at her.

Loyal to the core and at the same time playful to invite her to a world that she couldn't enter yet, not for now but it definitely wasn't a full stop either.

She went back to painting with a soft humming of a song that she hadn't heard yet, it was just a few chords of something growing inside of her, something that was painless and rewriting her story anew.

Hope.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

Happy – _Leona Lewis_

Shut up and dance – _Walk the Moon_

Carousel – _Carolina Deslandes_

My heart is open – _Maroon 5 feat. Gwen Stefani_


	10. Make whole

The group was all moving in sync, breathing and gliding their feet across the sand at the same time and Caroline was following the routine naturally, she didn't have to look at the others because as Klaus had taught her, practicing Tai Chi was about finding the right balance within oneself.

Luckily she found out that a group of people practiced every day at sunrise in the park across her house and every morning she was here to practice silently with them, it was something that gave her peace and it became a bit of ritual for her.

She was one of the youngest in the group but still she was welcomed with smiles by the older ones who even helped her in the beginning with a few minor advices about her posture or about executing more advanced exercises.

Everyone was nice and Caroline loved the group, except for one particular guy who started practicing with them for the last three days, he was a beginner but she had a feeling that he wasn't here to learn which was obvious when he finally made a move and approached her.

"I don't think that I'm very good at this." He awkwardly said as the group started dissipating and he was granted a chance to speak to her alone.

Without giving him a word Caroline tried to send him away with a tiny smile and a look somewhere else.

"I could really use some help." He insisted.

Caroline had a quiet sigh and looked at the sandy ground. "I can't help you and I'm waiting for someone…" Politely she looked at him.

He had a nice face and his hair was dark like his deep-brown eyes, there was a smug smile crossing his lips and Caroline really wished he wouldn't go there.

"I'm not really the jealous type." He joked satisfied with his antic.

"Could you please leave? I would like to be alone." Cordially she asked.

"I thought that you were waiting for someone." He let out his crispness.

"Are you deaf?" Gloria gave the boy a fright by speaking just behind him, when he turned she eyed him with such ferocity that it propelled a fast exit from him.

Caroline had the smallest giggle. "I think that that one will never return to the park."

"He will keep his distance if he's smart." Gloria picked up an apple from inside of her grocery bag still with an astute eye for any other possible hassle. "If not, I will gladly hex him." She handed a red apple to Caroline.

"You sort of remind me of my mother, she was a woman of fire and convictions."

"And as much protective?" Gloria identified her tiny fault.

"Sadly we weren't close and she died before I could ever try to reconnect with her."

"I never wanted children." Gloria mused. "Didn't see myself much as the maternal type."

Caroline stopped as they reached Gloria's house. "Was there a great love that could have changed it all?"

Gloria laughed carelessly. "I had at least four epic loves."

Caroline juggled her apple from hand to hand. "I used to believe in love."

With a smile Gloria touched her arm. "Caroline, you were mistreated by life the first time around but many people will go in and out of your life and each one will leave a different kind of feel in it. I know that you're scared of getting hurt again but don't close yourself up completely."

"When I was with Damon I used to think that it couldn't get worst and then he always proved me wrong but now that he's gone, I know that he was the worst that could've happened to me."

"And this time around he will not prove you wrong." Gloria winked at her before leaving to her house.

Caroline smiled, that was the foundation of her rebirth.

Dickens was still napping on the sofa and Caroline went straight to the bedroom without waking him, she sat on the bed polishing her apple before having a big bite out of it.

Her phone had a couple of messages and one of them was from Klaus, her smile was huge as she unfolded the playful picture of a can of yellow paint.

* * *

Rebekah rolled her eyes poked by the giddy smirk that Klaus had as he answered Caroline's message. "I wonder if she knows that she makes one of the most callous men known to humanity smile like he's a boy experiencing his first puppy love."

"Her wit is very different and I enjoy it immensely." Klaus replied to another message quickly.

"Why are you leaving the rest of her out?"

"I'm shy." Klaus conveyed this appalled stance that was almost real.

Rebekah laughed with a drifting look at the view, they were leaving Belgium in a train and the sight from the window was amazing.

Less impressed by it and fixated on Klaus was Davina, who sat in front of the two siblings as a good hostage.

"Can I help you with an answer to some urgent question, sweetheart?" Klaus asked her without taking his eyes from the phone.

"How did you become an assassin?" Davina asked him.

"There were already too many priests in the world." He kept his phone inside of his pocket and looked at the young witch. "And witches."

"Some more special than others." Rebekah eyed Davina with a piercing look.

"What did Thierry say before you killed him?" Although the question was for Rebekah he kept his stare straight ahead.

"That only Marcel knows what Davina can do, I'm not sold on the future foreseeing abilities that they are trying to sell us." Rebekah answered Klaus.

"So she is here for a special purpose, it's not just a random location spell that Marcel wants from her?"

"That's what I reckon." Rebekah lifted her eyes to the door down the corridor, someone was joining them in this passenger coach.

"What's so interesting about your witchcraft gift that made Marcel flash out of his hiding spot?" Klaus analyzed the young girl.

"I'm very good at keeping my mouth shut." Davina noticed the company around them and reacted agitated to it.

"The train is providing us with entertainment, that's thoughtful of them." Klaus counted 10 men by the time the last one closed the door behind him.

"You're on the aisle side so you deal with them." Rebekah had a sip from her drink.

"Why can't I enjoy my drink while you ask them why they are here?"

"Because I'm having a mojito and you're drinking dull scotch." Rebekah didn't plan to move an inch.

Klaus sighed annoyed, he was hoping for a calm ride filled with opportunities to call Caroline.

"The girl stays here but you two have to get out on the next stop." A big man with a ponytail informed the trio.

"That's very rude of you to not introduce yourself first." Klaus looked at the man with a smile.

"My name is Lachlan and you two need to leave." He divided his attention between the two siblings.

"That's such a nice name." Rebekah easily said.

He narrowed his eyes on edge. "Take your stupid compliments with you when you leave, dirty vampire."

"That's what you get when you are a classy girl with manners. Werewolf?" Rebekah crunched the ice with her teeth.

"Do you think that there is a chance he won't beg for a cure if I bite him?" Klaus asked her.

"There's no cure for stupidity." Rebekah looked away aloof.

Right on cue as Klaus moved his foot to sweep Lachlan's legs and knock him to the floor, he leaped from his seat so fast that the reaction from the group came in slow motion when in comparison to his agility.

He snaked an arm around the man standing behind him, he held him under his reach tilting his chin backwards and breaking his neck at the same time that he kicked someone all the way to the end of the corridor, he used the dead weight on his hand to send someone else to the floor as he hauled the corpse strongly against the man.

Two other burly men tried to swing a few good punches but Klaus simply caught their fists with each hand, he twisted their arms snapping them by the joints and pushed them off as they screamed in pain.

As he prepared to kill another man a gunshot was heard and the softest burning sensation hit the back of his shoulder, he turned around to face a shaking man but that fate was sealed by a knife that Rebekah threw from her seat, she just hated guns too much.

Klaus smiled but his sister was determined to keep her intervention to the minimal so it was up to him to decapitate the man closest to him, it resulted in a panic scene with the rest of the group trying to leave the carriage and inevitably ending up dead at his hands.

Unperceived to the gory fight the train announced a stop in a few minutes and Rebekah took Davina's arm to make the girl stand up. "Let's go, special girl."

She felt sick as she walked by bloodied corpses and body parts scattered on the seats. "I'm going to throw up."

"I hate humans with a weak stomach." Rebekah grunted.

Klaus waited for them by the exit. "We go on separate ways now, it's time to see if Marcel wants his witch more than he wants to come after us."

"Matt and the boys are waiting a few hours away." Rebekah wanted to keep Davina with her. "We shouldn't take this one back to San Francisco right away."

"I agree." Klaus nodded serious. "You should carry on until you reach Luxembourg while I return home to conference with Elijah."

Rebekah chuckled finding him terribly transparent. "Or to meet with a particular blonde who looks well in my clothes."

"Having my hand on a few matters at the same time has always been a quality." He exited ahead of the girls vanishing quickly into the crowd at the station.

"Wonder girl, we need to compel someone for a car." Rebekah stepped down from the train with Davina being held closely to her.

* * *

This second paragraph was very interesting and Caroline looked for her colorful marker, it was suddenly missing and she moved her books, her notebook and everything else on her cluttered table searching for it.

She almost looked inside of her bag as well but there had been someone else attentive to her marker's destination.

"It's holding up your hair." A young man said as he leaned against her table, standing just next to her.

Caroline lifted her hand remembering now the moment that she made an improvised bun with the pink marker. "Thanks." She quietly said without taking her eyes from the book in front of her and pulling the marker out of her hairdo.

Her long curly hair unfolded into a natural cascade and the boy was outspoken about it. "You have really nice hair…" He said as if he was complementing his own sentence.

Caroline stopped reading but kept her posture unchanging.

"It's been almost two weeks since you started college and everyday you come to the library and sit at the table across mine and you never look up from your books… if you had, you would have noticed that I was looking at you the entire time."

The temperature inside of the library was of no significance for a vampire and Caroline knew that her skin was crawling for a far different reason but she still searched for her jacket, it was a simple gesture that was frozen as soon as the boy trapped it under his hand.

He rested his palm over the back of her chair and smoothly leaned away from her table and towards her. "Or have you seen me and decided to play shy?"

Caroline directed her eyes at him, he had dark hair that reached his shoulders and disobedient black eyes. "I don't come to the library to look at you or at anyone else. I'm here to study."

Her brass reply made him smile. "What's your name beauty? I'm Trevor."

"I'm not interested so please leave me alone."

He didn't move right away but within the next five seconds he straightened up and even stepped back opening his arms.

Although she forged the space she wasn't comfortable in here anymore and cleared up her table, leaving the library next.

There was still time before her next class and Caroline settled in the auditorium for a quick call, she waited for his strong voice to greet her and it felt nice to hear him when he did.

"You sent me happiness in a can." She joked with him.

Klaus richly laughed. "Did it reach you intact?"

"It made me smile." She granted him a small gift.

"Perhaps a portrait of that would have made me smile as well."

"Our friendship hasn't reached the selfie status yet."

He laughed again. "I rather admire that smile in person nevertheless."

"When will you come back?" She worked on a drawing in her pad.

"Well sweetheart, that could depend entirely on how much you miss me."

She scoffed him silently and her hand made some extra force on the pad. "I wouldn't put all my money on that side of the scale."

"You are probably right because it's a big wage after all."

She knew that he was toying with her and concluded what her drawing would be. "Even if I don't miss you to an extreme, will you be back soon?"

Her tone was so childlike that it left him endeared. "That scale is dangerously tilting my way."

She sighed focused on her work. "Klaus, if you carry on like this, when you do come back I won't show up at your door."

"And in case I showed up at yours?"

Caroline clasped the pencil in her hand. "You're on your way home, aren't you?"

"I should arrive at my house in the morning."

She bit her lip. "Really?"

Klaus looked at a sea of clouds. "I'm leaving on a jet plane."

She had a quiet deep breath, they hadn't seen each other for two weeks but talked every day nonetheless and she missed him. "I would like to see you."

Klaus nodded elated. "I will drive by your house and take you out for breakfast."

"Ok." She cutely smiled enamored with the idea, there was a sudden commotion with people coming inside of the auditorium in groups and she smiled at the first girls sitting next to her. "I have to go, my class starts in a few."

"I will see you tomorrow then." Klaus ended the call with a sensation of soreness in his shoulder, just where the bullet had hit him.

"That's a really cool wolf." One of the girls told Caroline.

"Thank you." Caroline liked what she had so far as well.

"I'm Rose." The girl smiled at Caroline hugely.

"Caroline." She replied a bit reserved and placing her attention on their professor.

Rose took a bit longer to look away from Caroline.

* * *

Katherine smiled as the handsome man occupied the stool in front of her, she was having a Latte in a very hip and busy coffee shop and she had sensed his presence outside for the last five minutes. "Good morning Elijah."

"Our pleasant meetings are running out of steam." He set the tone to their conversation quickly.

"But I enjoy our dinners so much." She complained.

He smiled with a small leaning of his head to the side. "On a sad note, I'm not here to find a romantic partner Katherine."

"You are here for the stakes."

"Which are not in your room."

Katherine smirked on her way to taste her coffee. "Of course that I would never leave them where anyone with natural charm could just stumble on it."

"The siren way is bewitching and I enjoy the flirtation Katherine but now I must insist that you reveal the location of those weapons."

Katherine sighed as she was missing him already. "It's sad that our flirt ends so abruptly."

"We haven't gone past the evening meals." Elijah simplified their interaction so far.

"Those dinners were more fun than most of my flings." She eyed him always flirtatiously.

"Your company was most amiable." He crossed his hands over the table. "But in a time of war there is no breathing space for a liaison."

She folded her napkin with a chuckle. "You're gorgeous Elijah and you look good in a suit but we would never work as a couple."

"You are wounding my heart." He said in a joking manner.

"This has been fun but a girl has to do what she has to do." Katherine dropped her napkin on the floor.

It was a sign for one of the waitresses and acting under compulsion the girl plunged a fork into Elijah's hand, it didn't affect him beyond the surprising moment but it caused a raucous mess around them and when Elijah looked for Katherine she was already gone.

In a hurry he rushed to the door catching a glimpse of her inside of a car, picking up a random small rock from the ground he tossed it at the passing vehicle, the hit forced her to stop as the window on the driving seat was shattered but to Elijah's dismay it wasn't her at the wheel but someone who was wearing a wig similar to her hair.

He looked around but evidently she escaped without leaving a scent to track and he plucked his handkerchief from the pocket suit upset but while cleaning his hand dirty with blood he felt almost impressed by how slick she was.

* * *

"If he bothers you again, you slam his head down on the table and carry on studying." Sage inched closer to the screen. "He was making you uncomfortable so he was the one who had to leave."

Caroline was using Skype to speak to Sage and she seemed to shrink a little in her sofa before answering back. "I could be expelled for being violent towards another student, even if he was harassing me. Besides he looked human and the Academy forbids any usage of supernatural abilities against fangless creatures." She cuddled Dickens closer to her and buried her chin in his fur. "I'm screwed if he develops a crush on me."

"This isn't a predicament Caroline…" Sage softly said. "If he comes around sniffing you again, you put him down."

Caroline smiled, Sage was firing up again but surprisingly she wasn't the only one.

With a subtle approach Finn neared the seat that his wife was taking and peeked at Caroline from above Sage's shoulder. "If you could provide the boy's family name I could send him a Viking warning."

Caroline crunched her lips and eyebrows unclear of what he meant.

"He would send Elijah to scare the life out of the boy." Sage most proudly explained.

"That's ok Finn, I will stand up to him the next time that he bothers me but thank you for the offer." Caroline was sweet in her reply.

He nodded serious. "But outside the Academy you could use your supernatural fist to bring him some sense, or did I misinterpreted the rules?" He lifted an eyebrow as the thought thickened in his mind.

Caroline nodded. "I'll remember that."

"Or you just run him over with the Jag." Sage reinforced.

Finn and Caroline laughed enthralled but it was up to the two girls to keep up another half an hour of conversation, by the time that Sage closed her laptop Finn was already involved with a book.

One that didn't hold his interest once Sage was free and he smiled from the sofa at his wife. "You have taken such a warm liking to this girl."

She twirled her long ponytail with a scold. "Are you trying to fool someone? Because just now your fatherly side was a beacon all the way to San Francisco."

He hard-pressed his lips. "Nothing but repercussions of having a baby sister, Rebekah always attracted a vast list of unpleasant creatures in heat."

"Rebekah knows how to keep them at arms-length, it's Caroline that I'm guarded about."

Finn stood from the sofa with a tender look. "And the reason behind it?"

Sage kept her eyes on his as he sat next to her on the dining table. "When you came home that night and told me that Klaus had a girl inside of his car and that she looked oddly not all there, I thought of some traumatized infant that I would detest at first sight. I never expected to meet someone so estranged from life itself, Caroline's eyes were lifeless, completely immersed in this indescribable pain that she insisted on keeping to herself. It broke my heart to look at Caroline and that's something that I won't forget so soon."

Devotedly he left a stroking caress on her cheek. "She's taken her time but she's becoming better."

"And I'm not the only one mindful of her wellbeing, Rebekah said that her traveling companion was glued to his phone and swift with his messages."

"We may all be very different from each other but comes a Leelan and we all act the same." Finn closed his hand around Sage's.

She moved from her seat with a smile and sat on his lap. "Let's do something romantic tonight."

"We could drive down to the river and have a gondola ride." He lowered his chin charmingly. "And I could sing for you."

She answered back by laughing.

"You do not love me enough." He complained.

Sage wrapped her arms around his neck. "I do and it's because of that love that I don't want to have your singing voice as the echo of a beautiful night."

He liked the special light that he found in her blue loving eyes and smiled. "If my Shellan wishes so." He gave in.

Sage tilted her head slowly so that she could frame his lips for a kiss. "I don't want anything to disrupt my night with you."

"There's a chance that the gondola man will erupt into song spontaneously." He did his obligation and warned her.

"I will have to throw him overboard if he does."

"Always with your guns blazing, my love."

"I like the prospect of this night more and more." She rested her lips upon his for a kiss.

And blissful that he had dedicated his life to this one woman he kissed her back.

* * *

It was early in the morning but Caroline expected him to arrive before the scheduled time, although they hadn't talked again on the phone he did send her a small message with the rendezvous timing so she stepped out of her house hoping to see him soon.

Caroline waited in her porch with alert eyes that reacted to every car or person approaching, minutes passed and she checked her phone to find it oddly absent of any contact from Klaus. "Hmmm…" She wrinkled her lips questioning herself wether she should call him or not. "He's probably just a bit late."

Yes, that was probably it and she locked her phone again.

Patiently she waited on her porch but as time started to flow her calm started to dissipate as well, an hour had passed since she checked her watch and neither had he called or showed up.

She was definitely a bit reluctant when she dialed his number but Caroline found it strange that he was so late and without warning to top it all, it was far from reassuring that he didn't pick up the call and if she had a sparkle of fear that something happened she also had a thought that slowly overtook everything else, he didn't share her enthusiasm and wasn't rushing to see her again.

Caroline sat on the steps of her porch discouraged and stared at an empty street without will to move, she couldn't shake off the feeling of false hope altogether.

Another hour went by and it was clear that Klaus wasn't coming or calling to inform her of his decision but not even going back inside and snuggling Dickens for comfort sounded appeasing for Caroline, she was sad that there wasn't a followup to the easy friendship that was created between them.

She got used to the calls and to Klaus' mischievous sense of humor, to his bright incisive remarks and naturally to the way that he made her feel calm and resistant to the haunting demons that still played inside of her.

There were a lot of mixed loud sentiments when she called him again and although the result was the same her attitude wasn't, this made no sense at all, they kept in touch since she moved out of the Brotherhood house and he never showed the intention of toning down their interactions, it was actually the opposite and Caroline went back to her first thought.

Something happened and that's why he didn't show up.

Before her creepy thoughts took control again she acted on her small hunch, twenty minutes later she was speeding in her car and headed to his house, her memory didn't trick her and she easily found the right exit in the freeway, from there to find the lone road that led straight to his mansion it was a matter of minutes.

As she neared the house the first thing that she saw was his car parked in the driveway and Caroline stopped just behind it, she didn't see anyone as she left her car and there was no answer at the door when she knocked but she hadn't drove all the way here to go back to sulking in her porch alone so she opened the front door.

"Klaus?"

It was an unanswered calling but the mantel was lit up, there were also a few couch pillows scattered on the ground and some of the furniture was moved out of place so Caroline guessed that the slight disorder was a bad sign.

"Klaus, are you in here?" She asked from the bottom of the staircase.

The top floor was dark but Caroline heard a noise as she walked upstairs, it was coming from a bedroom and she asked for him once more as she headed down the long corridor.

"Caroline…"

She identified the weak response as his voice and it troubled her how it was missing his usual force, she quickened her step but entered his room slowly.

Klaus was standing by his bed and trying to close up the buttons of his shirt, trying because his fingers kept sliding through the buttons like he was too frail to perform such a simple task.

"I tried to warn you that I would be late but I seem to have misplaced my phone." He looked confused and it showed in the way that he wasn't sure if he should look for his phone or look at her.

Caroline's next step found something on her way and she looked down to find his phone just next to her foot, she picked it up but Klaus was still fondling over his open shirt, he couldn't go past the first two bottom buttons and he appeared pale and actually ill to her.

"Klaus, you don't look well." She stepped closer to him.

"You found my phone." He was baffled by that and reached for it.

It was a simple motion but it took a toll on him and Klaus lost his balance to stagger forward, Caroline was fast to catch him and supported his weight with her own.

"I'm not sure that I'm well." He confessed a bit vaguely.

"You are burning up." She stated as his scorching heat pressed against her body and as she moved her hand up his back to better support him it became sticky with blood that was crossing the fabric of his shirt. "And you're bleeding." She was the one confused now.

"I was shot by some Slayer." He closed his eyes responding to the painful fever that took over his skin.

He was going to stagger again and Caroline guided him to the bed, just in time as he sort of collapsed to sit there without much control over his body.

"I need to see your wound." She softly moved to sit behind him and pulled his shirt down, there was a nasty infected hole with dark blood oozing out of it. "Didn't you take the bullet out?"

"There was no bullet…" He tried reaching out to touch his shoulder but his hand was limp.

Caroline traced a scratched line that was fading too slowly, it was obvious that he had been scratching and fussing over the wound for a while but she was unsure why he wasn't healing. "This might hurt…" She prepared him before running her thumb over the wound.

Klaus hissed and his skin wrinkled under her touch caused by the intense pain of her gentle inspection, he tried reaching for it again, he wanted to dig that disturbing sensation away.

"It's eating away my skin." He protested.

Caroline caught his hand to stop him from making things worst. "What is?"

"That… infection." He didn't have a better word.

Caroline rubbed her thumb against her index and noticed something white that was mixed with the blood. "There's this white powdery residue inside of the wound."

"Ash." Klaus found the word that had been missing.

Caroline looked up startled. "They hurt you with white ash?"

Klaus had a bit of a troubled intake of air and looked back at her. "I need you to clean thoroughly that laceration."

"Okay." She nodded at him.

"The longer that white ash stays in contact with my blood, the strongest will be the infection and the hardest will be to heal fast."

"Where can I find the things that I need to clean it?" Caroline was ready to jump from the bed with a flash.

He answered with a drift of his eyes to the bathroom nearby and in blurring speed she gathered everything that she needed and went back to the bed, Klaus' shirt was now resting on the bed next to him and Caroline sat behind him again but with a better look at a very polished back.

She used the gaze to clean the first layer of blood and it wasn't a pretty sight to see a deep gash with infectious tissue, nor it was to see Klaus holding back a rasp every time that she touched him.

"That's a very distinctive tattoo." She mentioned the triangle that was imprinted on his other shoulder blade.

"The Japanese have a saying, _each decision we make, each action we take is born out of an intention_. The triangle represents the connection between my past, my present and my future."

She smiled, everything about Klaus was a monstrous affirmation of how regal he was, even the ink on his skin had a deep meaning and history behind it. "It's a cool tattoo but I prefer the other one." She wondered about the big tattoo with birds and a feather in the front.

"I enjoy the poetic meaning of freedom."

"You're not leaving much space for your Shellan Mark." She softly said.

He turned his head to look at her.

"Sage told me a bit about the Viking wedding tradition." She glanced at him but without lingering.

"My heart leans slightly to the left and the tattoo is on my right."

She was using alcohol to remove all the ash and she soaked another gaze with it. "So you have all that space saved up for a name?"

"There's room for a name with many letters."

She resisted looking at him and concentrated on her medical assistance. "It's done with white ash on a blade so you would have to suffer as you are suffering now." Rebelliously she glanced at him again. "A short name would be better for you."

"My Leelan will have my pain and my blood as an offering, regardless of how long her name is. I assume you know by now what a Leelan is."

She moved her blue eyes in a telling way. "I need a knife." She hid a smile.

He didn't. "There's a blade in the first drawer."

She used it to cleanse the injury of all the poisonous ash, she was hurting him, of that she was sure so she was swift and efficient, once all the ash was on a gaze she used more alcohol and then pressed his wound to stop the bleeding.

Caroline tore his shirt apart and used a portion of it to strap a clean gaze to the open gush, after improvising a dressing she rearranged his pillows and helped him sit back and rest against the headboard. "I think that I got everything out but you need blood to heal faster because that ash is all over your bloodstream by now." She pulled the sleeve of her cardigan up to expose her wrist.

Klaus shook his head refusing her proposal. "My bite is deadly."

"Oh." She widened her eyes. "I hadn't thought of that." She chewed on her lower lip thinking of a solution.

"And I'm not well to heal you afterwards."

She tapped the knife in her palm. "You don't have to bite me, I can simply bleed into a glass."

"I will be well in a few hours." He took the knife from her hand. "There's no need for you to cut yourself."

"It's sweet that you're doing this Klaus but unless you have a stack of blood in the fridge, you need my blood."

He closed his eyes with a sly smile in his lips. "I'm not having any blood and I'm not going to die within the next hour but if you want to be certain perhaps you could stay while I slowly return to all my immaculate holiness."

It was a shame that he couldn't see how much she was scolding him but Caroline quietly left his side so that he could rest.

She had a small walk around his bedroom, it was cluttered with books written in several different languages but that was the only thing that she expected.

His bedroom was very unique, it was a testimony of his love for the Orient, all the walls were white with the exception of the wall behind his bed, that one was vivid red like the duvet and the bed itself was black.

There was a painted mural of a dragon expelling fire on the farthest wall and Caroline was fond of it, although her favorite one was the cherry blossom tree that was painted on the living room.

She didn't find any weapons at sight which she found surprising but she did find something far more interesting, there was a big pad with a leather cover and Caroline's curiosity was stronger than her prudence, when she lifted the cover she encountered a collection of portraits of the Mikaelson family.

Elijah in his long hair, Kol as a young vampire in a early Shakespearian era, Finn and Sage with a bright France in the background and of course Rebekah, the beautiful girl was captured in detail and love with her hair caught up in Victorian ways.

She knew them all so the last drawing that she found had to belong to Henrik, the boy on paper was sitting on a horse and smiling hugely, he had brown hair and a playful personality that she grasped from the way that Klaus drew him.

"You found the family album."

Caroline turned to the bed, Klaus had his eyes closed which was disconcerting. "I couldn't resist looking into it, I'm sorry."

"Rebekah detests her personification, she claims that I've made her fat." Klaus opened his eyes.

Caroline laughed with the softness of a woman who related to another. "We don't like seeing our features so enhanced."

"Beauty should never be overrated." He fixated his stare on Caroline as she sat next to him on the bed.

Caroline ignored the blunt praise and felt his forehead with her palm. "Your fever is stubborn to come down."

"I have not succumbed to the hallucinations."

"How can you tell? I could be a fabrication of your mind right now."

"What a cruel and harsh possibility that you speak of."

She looked away from his eyes and searched for a random spot in the wall. "Sometimes I do think that I'm imagining everything that happened since that party." She looked down on the floor. "That all this is just a sadistic induced illusion and that you don't exist." She lowered her voice. "And that all my smiles are only in my mind."

Softly Klaus moved his hand closer to hers, when she didn't pull away he asked for her permission to hold it close.

Caroline looked at his hand at the same time that she hid her delicate fingers under his strong palm and quietly smiled. "So do you think that you could like… avoid getting shot?" She faced him.

"I've always been proficient when it comes to dodging bullets."

"Until now." She danced with the words as much as she danced with his eyes.

On his behalf he would have been lost in that pearly blue if it wasn't for his phone accusing a message, unhappy he let go of her hand to take his phone. "My sister is reporting in." He handed Caroline his phone. "Do you mind typing in a message? I'm still having a hard time focusing."

"Shoot!" She toyed with a hint of sass.

"Adorable usage of a pun." Klaus pressed his dressing, wishing that he was healing faster.

Caroline breezed out this tiny giggle but looked at him ready to type.

"_Everything is calm in San Francisco. I haven't spoken to Elijah yet._" He said.

Almost as fast as she sent out the message, she received an answer that she read out loud. "_Stop wooing Caroline and call our brother._" She looked at Klaus with narrowed eyes.

"_How is Matt?_" He pointed at his phone.

With a sigh Caroline wrote down the message and then read what she received as a reply. "_Sod off, sweetheart._"

Klaus laughed entertained but eased up as his shoulder troubled him.

Caroline stood up to check on the dressing, it was covered in blood which worried her. "Who's Matt?" She had to keep him distracted for now.

"One of our best soldiers and someone with an unconcealed flame for my sister."

"And he's still alive?" Caroline didn't like a bit of how dark the skin around the open gush was looking and she tried to keep him going so that she could do what had to be done.

"Rebekah doesn't fancy him." Klaus cringed his teeth when the cold blade came in contact with his skin.

"I promise to be quick." Caroline whispered feeling awful that she had to dig for any remains of that nasty white stuff.

This time Klaus screamed as she stirred inside of that open cut.

"How many of her suitors have you dismissed?"

"All but the one who mattered." Klaus replied between teeth.

"I met Marcel so I know how hot he is, probably irresistible if he had his eyes set on Rebekah."

"It's a wonderful afternoon for torture." Klaus groaned.

Caroline moved the tip of the knife a little to the left. "It's been a while for me so I might be out of touch."

Instead of another loud scream Klaus held in his rage and pain as her words froze his immediate response.

"You still don't know when I'm joking…" Caroline read his reaction.

"I know when you're using your torment as your best smile."

She plucked a tiny little splinter with the blade. "There you are, you nasty little bugger." Victoriously she held the last shred of the weapon used against him.

"That's bloody brilliant…" He tried to turn his head back but slumped against her battered.

Caroline cradled him carefully. "I love how courageous you are Klaus but you're being a dimwit now, you need my blood."

He was nested against her chest and looking at her striking beauty, somehow he was missing the tragedy of his condition. "This is not how I envisioned our first blood sharing."

She stroked his scruffy cheek. "You think of biting me often?"

He inched towards a smile. "Blood sharing is not that."

"I wouldn't know, I've never done it before."

His glistening stare reflected a doubt.

"With Damon everything was one-sided." She lowered her wrist to his lips.

Caroline prepared for a cutting pain that would propel exponentially as he fed with more will but from the second that Klaus' sharp fangs perforated her skin that there was no pain or discomfort, only this warm sensation as he started to pull her blood into his mouth.

It wasn't what she was used to and instead of wanting him to stop Caroline ran her fingers through his curls and watched him as he fed with an admiration, it was indisputably new for her to have such a feeling but she liked how caring he was not to hurt her and how the sensation seemed to have this exhilarating effect on her.

Klaus drew out her blood some more with a tilt of his head so that he could frame her with a look, before he let go of her wrist he brushed her skin with his lips like he was closing them in a kiss.

Caroline's cheeks burned in a timid blush and she barely maintained her eyes on the same level of his as he pulled away from her blood. "Is it enough?"

He licked his lips, she tasted so good. "Do you know the definition of genuine beauty Caroline? Being in contact with something that leaves you wanting more." Klaus closed his eyes tired.

* * *

"It's a White Ash bullet, it's designed to disintegrate upon impact."

"A what?" Kol frowned with the definition and with the view.

Jackson was one of Kol's most trusted men and an expert in weapons, he crushed the white bullet in his hand turning it into a thousand tiny pieces. "This is how it looks once it lodges inside of your body."

When Kol touched the pieces his skin was instantly an open wound. "Will you imagine that? These wankers are getting smart."

"There are a few of these scattered all around, I have a friend in Europe and he saw a casing of these as well." Jackson further informed.

Kol unlocked his phone and called one of his brothers. "Elijah, have you talked to Nik today?"

* * *

Klaus woke from his slumber revitalized, he was healed and out of pain and he opened his eyes locating Caroline at once, she was standing by the window with the sunset light behind her like a dreamy apparition.

"How's the fever?" She added some sweetness to the moment.

"It vanished along with the infection." He tried to assess how long he had been out cold and the damage that his poison had caused on her.

Caroline stopped feeling her entire right arm but she was resistant to pain and she took her time nearing the bed when he held out his hand for her. "You look better." She slowly joined her hand with his.

"Time to take care of you."

Caroline's lips were dry and she nervously sat down next to him. "How is this going to happen?"

"It's the same as feeding from a warm jugular."

"I named my blood bags Joe and Jane, does that count as feeding from a person?" She had a small side look at him.

Klaus chuckled but he had a sad aura around him. "You were robbed of too many things."

Her answer was absolute silence.

"Grant me with your trust for the next 5 short minutes."

Caroline gulped down but gave him a small yes by nodding.

"You should lie down for this." He said in the most undoubting voice.

He was careful not to touch her and to keep a distance between them as he rested on his side, just next to her, his weight on his forearm and his eyes on her.

Caroline breathed out loudly and with a nervous rasp while her eyes were two huge questioning marks locked on his features.

"Are you all right?" He asked without taking things any further.

"I'm lying down in a strange bed with a shirtless man. I've only been on this situation with another man before."

"I could put on a shirt."

Caroline crunched her lips avoiding a smile. "I wasn't complaining about the landscape."

He released this thick small laughter but his focus was entirely on her and he respected her reluctant behavior. "You don't have to feel forced into anything and I could merely fill a glass with my blood but I would like to provide you with the experience of feeding directly from a vein."

"Will you stop at that?" She whispered.

"Sweetheart, we are rewriting your lines and it would be hideous of me to cross any of those lines when you are still defining them."

Her voice dropped almost to inaudible standards. "What if those lines are about my aversion to be touched right now?"

"It's your limits Caroline and I just stated that I'm not hideous."

A sweet set of blue eyes, a cute button-nose, a polished scruff that hid his dimples, and lips that knew when to curve into perfect little smirks were not traits of a hideous man, he was handsome as hell and she was starting to like that.

Klaus held his wrist for her to take, he didn't push her further or moved closer to her, he gave her time and space as he had set out to do from day one.

Cautiously as if she was measuring her own moves she wrapped a hand around his wrist and brought it closer to her mouth, her eyes gained a different color and became red at the same time that her fangs fought their way out of her gums and into Klaus' thick skin.

It was a bit of a harsh bite because she wasn't experienced in this but Klaus was motionless and complaint to her needs, as soon as that rich warm blood reached her palate Caroline moved her tongue to have a better taste of it, she swallowed the liquid wanting more as it burned down her throat while leaving an almost salty taste in the back of it.

Klaus tickled his fingers with one of her locks, brushed her face with a subtle outline that barely touched her and encouraged her to go on. "Stop only when you are satisfied."

Caroline closed her eyes and clutched his wrist harder, it was a fire that she couldn't stop and a hunger that was untamed, every time that she thought it was placated there was a new greed for his blood and she only stopped when there was nothing but serenity blanking her.

Klaus glided his thumb softly across her cheek. "That certainly brought a rosy color to your features."

She felt the heat as well and looked at him with a smile. "I liked that."

Closer to a smug he smiled. "That was the intention, love."

This sort of electricity was set between them and powerful like his blood Caroline felt his energy prickling every square of her skin, she silently moaned and narrowed the distance between them. "My arm doesn't hurt anymore."

He held her wrist with care, there was a beautiful little bird tattooed on her skin, another small detail that he was discovering about her.

"Klaus…" She used a low voice to bring his focus back to her.

"Do you want me to stop touching you?" He looked at her powerfully.

It wasn't his benign touch that she was repulsed to stand and she didn't mind his thumb adoring her tattoo. "No."

He only looked at her now, wandered his eyes along her face while she lowered her eyes to his lips, their next breath was beautifully held at the same pace and when she looked up to his line of sight there was a wish forming inside of her.

Perhaps the very same that fuelled him to lean over the smallest inch, careful not to overstep her trust.

"_Niklaus, where are you?_"

Caroline covered her lips with a smile while Klaus rolled his eyes miffed, Elijah's voice halted everything between them and swiftly Klaus left the bed and bedroom but things were never so active inside of Caroline.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

Babel - _Mumford &amp; Sons_

Flaws – _Bastille_

The voice within – _Christina Aguilera_

I should go – _Levi Kreys_

Wildest dreams – _Taylor Swift_


	11. The code

Elijah smelled the blade that Caroline used to heal Klaus. "It has the scent of White Oak."

"It hurts like it." Klaus assured him of it while typing something into the search motor of his computer, he was immersed in it for a few minutes before he noticed that Elijah was staring at him. "I reckon it's the same as having fire eating away a path in your veins."

Elijah motioned a small shrug. "Forgive my aloofness but when I arrived you seemed upset rather than consumed by pain."

"I was healed by the time you arrived." Klaus closed his laptop harshly. "And you my brother possess the worst notion of timing."

Elijah smiled. "Kol was very alarmed by his findings so you must excuse my unduly concern."

"How did you find my house anyway? I have kept it concealed from the family." Klaus inquired unpleased.

"You forget that our brother is engaged to a powerful woman connected to the arts of witchcraft."

Klaus circled his hand attempting to quiet him down. "If I keep an entire property all to myself it's because I want to be here all by myself."

"Do you also sing wrenched in tears and howling at the skies how independent you are?" Elijah asked with a peeking smile.

"Did you not have to find a couple of stakes and a slick brunette on the run?" Klaus exasperated.

"Who's to say that I'm not working on it?"

Klaus turned his back on him and headed for the door. "Close up when you leave and forget where I live."

Elijah had a small laugh. "My brother the poet."

* * *

Caroline left the auditorium really happy with the way that things were going, she was in love with all of her classes and now that she had time to catch up to everything it was all falling into a nice little rhythm for her, she had her schedule under control and between her extra long hours at the library, the workshops that she was devouring and the nights that she spent painting at home she was living out her passion to the fullest.

The Academy was amazing and Jenna was a sweetheart, she liked the students as well although she kept her guarded distance from them, even from the girl waving at her from across the hallway, for some reason this girl called Rose took her good manners as a beacon sign that she wanted to befriend her and for the last week she had tried to talk to Caroline every time she laid eyes on her.

"Today the art education staff is holding a workshop on museum education, are you attending?" Rose excitedly asked as she grew closer to Caroline.

"No…" Caroline held her books tucked against her chest. "I have to leave the university early today."

"Oh." Rose lowered her shoulders. "It's just that I've noticed that we tend to like the same workshops and I thought that we could sit together…"

Caroline smiled. "Some other day maybe."

"Sure." Rose held her easiness as the other started to walk away.

Caroline rushed down the hallway, she sprinted down the stairs but slowed down as Jenna met with her on the main floor.

"I just came from a meeting with your teachers." Jenna informed her a bit serious.

"I could have done a lot better in that first exam." Caroline's voice dropped along with her joy.

"That would've impressed them very much although…" She laced her arm around Caroline's shoulders. "… they all find you gifted and a little gem to be explored." She whispered.

Caroline's face lit up with a smile. "I'm determined to do well in the other exams."

"If you keep working as hard as you have lately, one day not far from today your name will be a household name within these walls."

"I don't aspire to be famous." Caroline sweetly confessed.

"Everyone wants recognition for their worth."

Caroline sighed at that, validation was something that she was scarcely getting back. "I honestly just want to enjoy every minute that I spend learning about something that I love doing."

Jenna stroked her shoulder. "I never stopped learning."

With a soft chuckle Caroline waved at the Dean as she walked away from her, that was a nice thought and she tapped her books with a smile, up until she saw the time and became worried.

Caroline hurried out of the building, she had to reach the parking lot fast and honestly the last that she was counting on was to run into the creepy guy from the library, the second that Trevor breezed his way in front of her she glared at him.

"You're not going to the library today?" He asked her quite naturally and with a smile.

Instead of answering him Caroline simply tried to go around him.

Trevor had a step to the right to disturb her motion. "The library is not the same when you're not there."

"A building is just a building and I'm in a hurry." She tried to move again but was forced to stop when Trevor used his bulky body to block her way.

"If you're running late somewhere I can drive you there, if you want me to."

Caroline held her gaze on his sly features with a steady glare. "What I want is for you to step aside so that I can leave."

After a few seconds of toying with her spirit he moved aside clearing the way for her and Caroline got away as fast as she could, she had a small sprint to the front gate with a nibble of her lip when she saw the car already waiting for her.

As soon as she opened the door of his car she picked up on old habits and started to apologize. "I'm sorry that I'm late, I tried to be quick but there were too many people on my way." Klaus' response was a smile which made her think of what she was doing. "Hi." She restarted her entrance by smiling and tucking her curls behind her ear.

Easily he responded with a happy tone. "Hello."

"Are you feeling better?" She asked out of polite because she hadn't left his house without making sure that he was healed.

"Entirely ready to enjoy an afternoon with you." He was delighted that she accepted his invitation.

"Where are we going?" She had spent her morning trying to guess what he had planned for them.

Klaus had to slow his answer because some random man crossed the gate and walked in front of his car forcing him to hit the brake.

"Ugh…" Caroline complained when she saw Trevor looking inside of the car. "Run him over." She playfully grumbled.

Instantly Klaus switched pedals and enforced his car forward.

"Wait!" Caroline pleaded him.

Klaus looked at her serious.

"I forgot for a second that you are that literal." She softly smiled.

"Am I to spare him?" Klaus added a subtle smirk to his question.

"For now." She wobbled her head amused before glancing outside of her window.

When Klaus drove away Trevor was on the other side of the parking lot cautiously eyeing them.

* * *

Bonnie was returning to the house after a walk in the garden and she stopped to play with the beautiful Siberian husky that belonged to Jackson.

"He really likes you." Jackson said when the dog placed his paws on her knees to prop himself enough for Bonnie to stroke his face.

"I like him too." Bonnie chuckled when the husky licked her hand.

"It's good for him to be around different people." Jackson searched for his cigarettes.

Bonnie stood up although she kept on stroking the dog's head. "Soon the house will be full, as soon as the others arrive that is."

Jackson squinted at the same time that the smoke left his cig. "Are we expecting visits? Kol hasn't notified me yet."

"What did he tell you when we arrived?" Bonnie asked him with a sting in her heart.

"That the Council was dismembered and that the Brotherhood dispersed to confuse the slayers…"

"Kol told me about yesterday's hit on that train but Klaus wasn't alone, was he?"

"Rebekah was with him and she stayed in Belgium but Klaus went back to San Francisco injured."

"And the rest of them?"

He didn't like how serious she looked and he started to regret his loose tongue. "Kol will cut my tongue if I speak too much."

She had one step closer to him. "Where is Finn?"

"In Italy with Sage." He answered lowly.

Bonnie shot in a fast pace towards the front door.

Jackson padded his leg to call the husky closer. "We should start working on signals…" He feared now what Kol would do to him.

"A random assail has a purpose that an organized bash doesn't." Kol shared his intuition with Bonnie. "The hit on the train was only an experiment to see how well their new arsenal worked."

She had found him in the big office where he was inspecting the new bullets. "They only disintegrate after they are inside of the body?"

"Klaus had a few splinters of white ash eating away his lucidity and his flesh."

Bonnie scooped up to sit on the table. "It's the slayer's answer to vervain bullets."

"It still counts as a copycat answer." He found it quite insulting considering how Bonnie had been the one to perfect the vervain weapon.

"I still have time before the wedding to work on something…" She handed him the bullet. "Can you open it for me?"

Kol crushed it with his hand pressing his lips as the ash came in contact with his palm. "Are you using this for something?"

"You mean another reason besides hurting you?" She asked with a clear scowl in her eyes.

Suddenly the violent sting in his hand became bearable. "I wanted to keep you safe."

"I wouldn't be so upset if you told me truth from the start."

"You wouldn't leave your house if I had told you that we had to leave San Francisco for protection."

"Because I can hurt a vampire using my mind as much as white ash hurts you." She held a stern voice with him.

"Compromising when it comes to you is not an alternative."

Bonnie jumped from the table upset. "But letting me find out by listening to your soldiers talk about the real reason I'm here, is? You talked me into this by saying that everyone else was joining us here in Russia."

"It's not an option totally intangible."

Bonnie pulled her scarf from around her neck and held it open for him. "I'm going to need that ash."

Kol dropped the ash on top of the fabric as fast as he grabbed her arm. "I own St. Petersburg and my Leelan stays with me."

Bonnie gulped down as this icy feeling covered her. "If you start lying to me I won't be that or anything else for a long time and you can forget about the wedding if you're going to treat me like a fragile doll from now on."

"This is my lair and where I'm most comfortable at and I was not going to leave you behind." He said before leaving the room.

"I go where I want and on my own terms." Bonnie answered back with a racing heart.

* * *

Caroline's excitement started brewing as she understood where they were headed but she tried to keep it at bay until she was sure that he was really driving towards China Beach and with each growing mile her merriment escalated to emotion, by the time he parked near the cove she had teary eyes and a huge lump in her throat, moved she opened her door and stepped outside of his car with her eyes on the familiar little hidden haven between cliff and ocean.

"Would you accompany me on a small walk?" He asked with a casual feel as he stopped next to her.

Caroline motioned her head in a nod beaming at him and after a small walk she was emotional again, so much that she had to stop and gather her control.

Klaus kept his pace close to hers and stopped as she did. "We can return to the car, if you wish."

She shook her head. "But I want to do something."

Quietly he gave her space to do whatever she had to do and he simply watched as Caroline reached for her ballerina shoes, once she had those in her hand she pressed her bare feet hard against the sand.

"It's warm…" She looked at him while wiggling her toes. "And it tickles." She wrinkled her nose.

"You're not convincing me to take my shoes of." He started walking with a knowing conceal of his smile.

Caroline had a soft laughing response to that and started to walk so that she could catch up to him.

"How was your learning day?" He asked as soon as she joined his side.

"I absolutely love everything that happens inside of the Academy and I'm learning so much about my skills and about myself as well… I didn't know that I was able to express myself in so many ways and that so many wanted to hear what I had to say."

"You've found your eloquent voice."

Caroline nodded proud of that achievement. "I have it back and I'm not letting it go ever again." She made the cutest fist with her hand.

Klaus smiled nothing but enchanted with it all.

"You had a big part in it Klaus." She held her voice thankful. "In how far I've come since I started bringing myself back to life."

"I don't take pride in restoring something that should've never been tampered with in the first place." He easily downplayed his input on her healing and stopped to have a long look at her, Caroline's golden locks waved with the gentle breeze, her blue eyes were now two pools of life and guarded by long black eyelashes and her cheeks were rosy with life, it was a monumental change from when he first saw her. "Thank you for what you did yesterday."

Her blush was coy but utterly beautiful to watch and Klaus kept his eyes on her as she looked away to speak.

"I didn't mind looking after you but maybe you could try not to get hurt during my exams? I have to study a lot for those and it's distracting to do that and to keep your fever under control."

Amused Klaus raised his hands with a small inclining of his head, he was really starting to have her humor under understanding and they shared a smile of complicity.

It was one of those moments that was only interrupted when Caroline had the tiniest bubbly giggle as a tide reached her feet.

"Do you come here often?" Caroline asked as they started walking side by side again.

"It holds the best view to the bridge." He contemplated the red structure still with the same admiration as he did when he saw it for the first time after it was completed.

"Were you in San Francisco while the Golden Gate was being built?"

"I was an aficionado of Europe for the majority of my centuries and later on by Asia and its culture so I truly only discovered San Francisco to its core recently."

"I've always lived in this city." Caroline said reminiscent to an extend. "I actually used to come to this cove a lot when I was younger and the only memory that I have of my parents together comes from a day that we spent here."

"Tell me about them." Klaus asked interested.

"I don't remember much about my father, he left when I was still in high school and we weren't that close to start with, it was sort of the same with mother who was very cold and reserved like I was more of a hassle than a joy in her life."

"You mentioned before that she's no longer alive…"

"It was all very detached like our relationship, one day I got a call and the next I was arranging for her funeral and that was it… everything was just so…"

"Disjointed." He suggested.

Caroline stopped with a small hum. "Yes… that's how it felt."

"People roam in and out of our lives constantly, not every one and each of them are meant to cause a permanent scar."

"But these were my parents… I'm sure that there was some role that they were meant to play in my life."

"All my siblings look different from each other and from myself, for the exception of Kol and Elijah who look alike and yet we all revolve around each other like two twin parts of a clock that won't work if a part is missing. As we lost Henrik everyone coped in differ ways and we have embraced others into our realm but the core remains the same."

"Are they your scars?" She asked curious to his reply.

He smiled hugely before answering her. "They have certainly caused one or two scarred memories." He chuckled loudly.

She also had a small chuckle but she had her bottom lip between her teeth as she gained the courage to carry on. "Is that why you make the Mark… is it like a way to show the world that someone else is leaving a scar in your life?"

"Much to the masses disappointment we do not go around shirtless all the time." He said in a playful low voice.

Caroline rolled her eyes in a candid reaction.

It caused a big laughter in Klaus.

"I didn't explain myself well."

"I understood the question perfectly love." He assured her.

"Although I find it romantic I don't really get why you carve someone's name into your flesh like that."

"Are you not familiar with the panoply of tattoos with names in Hebrew, Chinese and every written language that exists now? It has become a bit of a hackneyed habit by now but strip away the banal aspect of it and you still have our Viking culture immaculate."

"I think that people took everything that they liked about the Vikings and did their own thing with it… I wonder what else they've stolen from you."

"My charming ability to produce a snarky comment upon every situation." He cocked his eyebrow.

"Did you inherit that from your real father?"

Swift as the tide reaching Caroline's feet, the emotions on Klaus' changed as well. "He was a great leader and his pack had an important role in our folklore, you see... Viking Age Norsemen used specific ships as containers for the dead, the deceased were laid in a boat and given grave offerings in accordance with their earthly status and those vessels were built by my father's clan."

"That's so incredibly cool." Caroline whispered, she had heard about the ship burials but she would've never connected it to Klaus' origins.

"They were called Guardians of the Dead."

"That's a bit of a heavy name isn't it?" She couldn't connect the beauty of such a task to that title.

"Depending on the high status of the deceased there were some slave sacrifices performed by the clan."

Caroline grimaced a bit but she was enjoying the history that she was getting from Klaus and steered the conversation further. "Do you pay respect to your kills because of that legacy?"

He smiled overtaken by her bright awareness. "Ansel was the keeper of the dead and the right hand of the King of the North, Mikael Mikaelson. My mother was married to one brother and in love with the other and from that Rebekah and I were born." When Caroline widened her eyes he smiled. "I was raised in the middle of a family feud and I can't pinpoint from which my taste for blood originates but I can vouch that they all had a finger in my bubbly personality."

Cutely she laughed with her eyes on the wet sand and the footprints that she was leaving on the shore. "How does a man so rooted in Norse tradition become such a lover of the Samurai laws?"

"I reckon that it's the right timing for you to meet Naoki."

Caroline squinted at him.

* * *

The small restaurant was discrete, it could easily be missed by those walking by it and yet as soon as Caroline came inside she understood that it wasn't open for everyone, the place was dimly lit and there was only a man behind a wide counter chopping an entire fish into pieces.

It was definitely not a popular Americanized version of a Sushi restaurant and she felt incredibly special for being here with Klaus, the big man at the counter had large wide shoulders and his hair was dark, silky and caught on top of his head by a tight bun.

"I caught a big salmon just this morning." The man told Klaus as he lifted his eyes to meet the couple.

Klaus pulled a stool for Caroline before he took his jacket of and sat in front of the man's line of sight. "You always know when I will pay you a visit."

The man plunged the big knife in his hand on the counter and cleaned his hands on a pearly-white towel. "I was preparing it for the beautiful girl."

Caroline smiled as Klaus huffed offended.

"My name is Naoki and I'm honored that he finally told someone else in San Francisco that I sell food."

She found the man enthralling and fell right at ease with him. "I'm Caroline."

"Do you like salmon?" Naoki started preparing some tea for them.

"I haven't eaten it in a while but I used to like it."

"Some _Agari_ to make you warm first, then I will make my best to make you love salmon." Naoki poured the green tea for the three of them.

Although he mentioned preparing food he took his time savoring the tea with them and Caroline loved how unique the green tea was, as for Klaus he was still very much quiet and drinking silently and the longest Caroline looked at the two men the further she noticed the amount of respect that existed between them.

Something evident when they shared the smallest nod and smile just as Naoki started working on the rice.

Without using a loud voice Caroline asked curious. "Which one of you tried to kill the other first?"

The men burst into a big laughter at the same time but Klaus left the answer for Naoki.

"He was hired to carry out my execution." He pointed the knife at Klaus.

"And we fought for an entire day until my admiration for his sword skills granted him a pause, from that came a cup of tea and later on a friendship that lasts for a century now."

Immediately she flicked her stare to the other man.

"I'm a Samurai above everything else." Naoki cleared that up as he started to cut the vegetables for the _Chirashizushi_ bowls.

Caroline was dying to know more but she restrained from making too many questions.

"Has Niklaus told you about me at all or has he spent all of his wooing time using that atrocious humor of his?" Naoki asked her while Klaus grunted a small growl.

"He brought me here after I asked him what influenced him to be the man that he is today." Caroline cautiously replied.

While the couple started to eat Naoki exchanged the most foretelling look with Klaus. "He was a proud powerful man when I met him but wandering around without a purpose so I introduced him to the _Bushido code_."

Caroline interrupted her wonderful tasting to narrow her eyes at Naoki. "What's that?"

He was now fixing the _Makizushi_. "A true man lives his life by eight single virtues that express the code of honor of a Samurai." He started to cut the rolled sushi as he listed them. "Rectitude or justice. It is the strongest virtue of Bushido, being rectitude one's power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason without wavering, to die when to die is right and to strike when to strike is right." He placed the sliced rolls in front of Caroline and Klaus. "Rectitude is the bone that gives firmness and stature. Without bones the head cannot rest on top of the spine, nor hands move nor feet stand. So without rectitude neither talent nor learning can make the human frame into a samurai.'

With sparkling eyes Caroline picked one of the slices. "What's next?"

He liked the learning sparkle in her eyes and he used the good energy that was coming from her to start working on another plate. "Courage."

"Sounds like something that Klaus had in spades before you reached him."

Naoki prepared the tuna with a big smile. "Young soul… having bravery and courage are two distinct qualities in a man. Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of courage therefore courage is doing what is right."

"He has that covered." She could vouch for that.

"He can explain benevolence or mercy to you."

Caroline turned her head to Klaus who was not eating at this point, he merely sitting there peacefully.

"A man invested with the power to command and the power to kill is expected to demonstrate equally extraordinary powers of benevolence and mercy. Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul. Both Confucius and Mencius often said that the highest requirement of a ruler of men is benevolence."

Her lips curved into this awed smile, suddenly everything about Klaus' character made so much sense.

"Politeness is next." He smiled at her when Naoki graced them with a plate full of _Tekkamaki_ and a smaller one with _Gari_. "You should have that to cleanse the palate." He pointed at the ginger first.

Caroline wasn't impervious to the small amount on the plate, obviously Naoki was expecting Klaus to forfeit in her favor but she separated the thin slice of vegetal in two and shared it with Klaus.

Naoki was preparing the tempura with an eye on them. "In its highest form politeness approaches love."

Klaus and Caroline drifted their eyes away from each other.

Naoki knowingly made the batter. "Honesty and sincerity are next and they are by far my favorite, it's a code that speaks of a Samurai's avowal to live without luxury. Bushido encouraged thrift, not for economical reasons so much as for the exercise of abstinence. Luxury was thought the greatest menace to manhood, and severe simplicity was required of the warrior class…" He held his eyes on Klaus.

"I almost mastered all of the virtues." He simply stated.

"Which brings us to honor. A vivid consciousness of personal dignity and worth. A samurai was born and bred to value the duties and privileges of his profession. Fear of disgrace hung like a sword over the head of every samurai and to take offense at slight provocation was ridiculed as short-tempered." He bowed his head as if he acknowledged that Klaus mastered that particular part of the code.

However Klaus completed it by looking at Caroline. "True patience means bearing the unbearable."

She lowered her eyes affected.

"Loyalty…" Naoki dropped the sea food into the burning oil without adding any further words, he was aware that the couple held loyalty high in their pyramid of values.

Caroline's stomach was bursting full, without a doubt this had been the day when she ate the most but she couldn't resist the tempura, even more when Naoki joined them at the counter and ate with them.

"We've come to the last of our virtues." He dipped his vegetables into a sauce. "Character and self-Control. Bushido teaches that men should behave according to an absolute moral standard, one that transcends logic. What's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong. The difference between good and bad and between right and wrong are givens, not arguments subjected to discussion or justification, and a man should know the difference. The first objective of samurai education is to build up character. The subtler faculties of prudence, intelligence, and dialectics are less important. Intellectual superiority is esteemed but a samurai is essentially a man of action."

"I read about a few samurai women as well…" Timidly she said.

Naoki laughed in this rich texture. "I was cautious of them as I would never be of another fierce creature."

"Your world is fascinating." Caroline concluded. "Thank you for telling me about it."

"We live with honor and we die with honor."

"And that was the best food I ever tasted." She leaned back a bit feeling bloated.

"It has been my honor preparing it for a friend of my friend." Naoki grabbed a bottle from under the counter and shook it to mix the rice sediment inside of it, he then poured the sake into three glasses that were left with a misty cloud on top of them.

Before Klaus took the drink his phone started ringing and aware of how much Naoki hated the modern atrocity he stood up to take the call outside.

Caroline glanced at the door as he left and then back at the man who was sipping on his drink with a smile.

A bit awkwardly she tapped her glass. "So… you're a vampire as well?"

"Before Niklaus stopped to admire my Katana he wounded me with a deadly bite and I was ready to accept my fate, however intrigued by my attitude in the face of death he asked about my beliefs and he became further interested in them as I carried on speaking about my country and my values. Hours later he turned me and asked me to teach him about my traditions and we've reached the status of friends since that day."

"I read that Samurai masters only have one student during their lifetime."

Naoki nodded at Caroline. "I will have one apprentice by my choice to give all of my knowledge and to carry out the legacy that was once bestowed on me."

"So Klaus wasn't your student?" She asked unsure of what his answer would be.

Naoki looked at the door as Klaus returned inside of the restaurant.

"I killed him so that ticked him off and he has refused to extend his teaching skills beyond the Bushido code." Klaus scoffed upset.

Naoki smiled. "I'm a vampire now and I have time to choose my student."

Caroline eyed them both with admiration, their cultures couldn't be more apart from each other yet they both were big representations of it and although Naoki was younger than Klaus his influence on the other was tangible and with that Caroline realized how much Klaus respected this man, so she had a bit of her sake feeling privileged that he introduced her to Naoki.

* * *

Jackson was keeping guard of this side of the house and he was just lightening up his cigarette when he saw Kol arriving in his car, as his sire made way inside of the house he knew that he was headed straight to the room behind him, it was where Bonnie was and Jackson leaped from the balcony onto the roof where he stood crouched and attentive to the cold night.

Kol walked into the room knowing that he had the privacy that he needed, he just didn't know if he would have a bleeding brain after speaking to Bonnie.

She lifted her eyes from the map open on the table to speak to him, but she did it somewhat coldly. "I used the ashes and made a location spell to find out from where they came from, I know that the tree is protected by a cloaking spell but I can breach that wall if I work on it for a little longer."

He stopped near her and although he didn't speak a word he sprinted a hand across her face, he brought her closer to him and breathed against her lips without pressing them for a kiss.

"How many did you kill?" She could smell the blood, thick and distinct, still lingering on his tongue.

"Not enough." It hadn't appeased him and he was still troubled about the small rift between them.

His hand was still on her face and she rested her palm over his chest trying to gain some space to breathe. "I need to go back to the spell."

He deeply growled although it was meant to come out as a deep breath.

Bonnie smiled. "Grunt all you want but I'm still mad that you tricked me and you should be happy that I haven't made you scream on the ground with blood bursting out of your eyes."

Devilishly his lips twisted into a smirk, how could he not love this woman endlessly?

* * *

There was this sort of gloom inside of the car when Klaus parked in front of Caroline's house, neither of them wanted to end their afternoon together and if he was slow to open her door, she was slower to leave the car.

"I trust that Gloria has been a good neighbour." He prolonged their goodbye for a bit further.

She leaned back against the door with a smile. "She's super nice and she takes care of Dickens while I'm at college."

"Has she shared with you yet that she sings in a local Pub?"

Caroline nodded. "I'm going to see her perform tonight…"

Her small pause was an indication that she was offering him an extension of their time together and Klaus licked his lips with a smile that stayed with him long after they broke eye-contact. "I have to find the hand behind my attack and behead him but there's a good chance I found Marcel's location and I should act forthwith... not to mention that I'm not a bit amused that Stefan suddenly became an inaudible threat with something brewing on the corridors."

Caroline kept her eyes lower for a little longer until she faced him with a small smile. "Villains are such busy people."

"We do it only to impress others." He conveyed a false seriousness.

It made her laugh and she did it softly, like she was showing understanding above anything else. "I enjoyed today very much Klaus." She started to walk away from him. "I'll call you tomorrow after college."

He remained by the car while Caroline went inside of her house with a single glance at him.

* * *

Gloria was a really good singer and it was the second time that Caroline watched her perform, she liked it as much as she did the other time around but she was nonetheless feeling more melancholic tonight, the songs sounded more sad and sweetly carried with them a blues that she desiccated with a glass of white wine and the occasional sigh.

As the songs unfolded Caroline kept still, she was resting an elbow on top of the table and her chin was supported on her palm, the wine was going to last and she only took her eyes from the stage to look at her phone.

Although there wasn't any message to be read she still unlocked it to make sure that she wasn't missing anything and affected by it she locked her phone again, right as she left the phone back on the table she felt someone approaching and expecting another random man trying to sit with her at the table she moved her head ready to snap.

"I can choose another table." Klaus read the little fiery message in her eyes.

Overtaken by a small gasp she reeled. "You came..."

"Marcel can wait another day to be beheaded." He stopped by the table with a hand stretched out for her. "You've been deprived of too many dances as it is."

Like it was a magnetic motion she fitted her hand inside of his and the two of them moved over to the dance floor.

"Your look is exquisite tonight." He complimented her for the fairy pale-pink dress that she was wearing and the stylish flower that she used to trap a bit of her hair on the side.

As she framed herself for a dance with him she guided her eyes to the dashing buttoned up shirt that he was rocking, blue was a color that truly made his eyes standout. "I'm happy that you're here."

Her words were like a gush of electricity that was being rammed into his veins and he sprinted out a big smile. "Are you perhaps acknowledging that we do have a thing?"

She held her stare with a little play between them. "Why do you insist on putting a label on what we have?"

"My motives are sinister…" He lowered his voice as he prepared to give her a small spin.

When she returned to his chest she held her breath waiting for the rest of his sentence.

"It's a way to keep you talking."

She had the smallest slump against his frame. "You are so disconcerting sometimes."

"And you speak like royals used to, there's something about your presence and essence that reminds me of the queens and princesses that I've known and that were almost as beautiful as you are."

Caroline did this enchanting motion of her eyes, they landed right upon his. "What are you doing Klaus?"

"Trying to finish what my brother interrupted yesterday."

Her reaction came with a grip of his shoulder by the hand resting there, she wasn't dizzy but her body wasn't reacting the way that she expected it.

"But I don't wish to harm your trust." His hand on the crook of her back moved in a soothing attitude.

Caroline gripped his shoulder harder, her breath was changing and she travelled her eyes down to his lips, they were so pretty to look at and she wondered if they would be as soft as they appeared to be.

The smallest action happened on her side, it was the tiniest inching of her body closer to his but Klaus wanted to hold on to that massively, he moved his hand up her back cherishing the moment when her breath invaded his mouth.

Caroline breathed against his lips, their faces were so close that she could feel his warmth and his smell was overpowering, she could feel him breathing against her and his hand was moving, the music was partnering them while people were dancing around them.

Their kiss was a moment away, it depended on this tiny movement that she would have to make because Klaus would never impose himself like that but as much as Caroline wanted to do it she lowered her head at the last second.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, she couldn't do it, she wasn't ready to kiss him and to start something with that sort of magnitude with him. "I'm sorry Klaus." She repeated with tears straining in her voice, they wanted out but she was resisting them forcefully.

Just the opposite of Klaus' posture and frame as he circled his arm around her waist to better shield her and offered his body as comfort, he brought her closer to him and simply held her while resting their entangled hands against his chest. "Don't apologize Caroline."

She had moved her hand to his neck and her face was hidden against that strong patch on his shoulder. "I wanted to kiss you but I can't let go of everything that… he did." She refused to voice the name of her beastly haunting demon.

"Do you recall the way that you've stood on my office that first night and offered your body for my take?" He inquired softly against her ear.

She shivered recoiling at the memory.

"Would you have sustained my touch as you do now?" He was holding her closely to him, his head was low and his lips were in her ear while she was melted against him.

Caroline lifted her head to look at him. "No."

"A kiss now would be wasted if you are not able to enjoy it as you should."

Caroline's lips parted a bit while he simply smiled at her and carried on dancing slowly with her.

* * *

**Soundtrack**

Warrior – _Demi Lovato _

Promise – _Ben Howard _

Your Soul – _Rhodes_

Fire – _Guano Apes _

Teach me how to be loved – _Rebecca Ferguson _


	12. Fix me

She captured the bright and vivid images in front of her with a skillful hand and while emptying a big cup of coffee she took advantage of the morning light to put on paper what she was seeing but Caroline couldn't stay in the park for long today because she also had an early assignment to deliver so quickly she packed up her things and headed for college.

It was such a beautiful day that she arrived in a high mood to the Academy and naturally she made way to her favorite place, the library at this hour was pretty empty and she left her things on a table before going to sort out a few books from a nearby row.

She was invested in her task when this intense overthrowing scent hit her nose and Caroline looked around for the source of the raw bloodied aroma, it took her a few slow steps to reach another row that was ingeniously hidden among the less used books.

"Hi Caroline, do you smell anything that you like?" Trevor pulled his fangs out of some girl's neck and smiled at Caroline with his mouth all covered in blood.

* * *

Katherine was done with this house, she was going to leave it behind and get on the road as soon as she could, she only wanted to make some coffee first and she pushed aside the corpse of the old owner in order to get to the coffee machine.

She glanced outside to catch a grey day but that wouldn't put a damper on her mood, she only had a few sips of coffee then she left the mug on the kitchen table and took her bag instead, decisively she walked over to the kitchen door but only to find Elijah there.

With a gasp Katherine accused how unprepared she was for the meeting and faster than a blink she turned around and flashed over to the front door, there she found Gloria blocking her way out, she still hissed at the witch and tried to take her down but a magical barrier stopped her from going any further than the limit of the door.

"I went to great lengths to spend some time with you Miss Katherine, it would be terribly rude of you to leave now." Elijah spoke just behind her.

Katherine smiled with effort and with her eyes still on Gloria. "I don't remember arranging for a soiree."

"I insist that you keep me company." Elijah smiled at Gloria. "Thank you for your help."

She winked at him. "Anytime handsome."

Katherine dropped her duffle bag on the floor and turned to Elijah. "An old witch fling?"

Elijah sat on the sofa with a cheeky look on his dashing face. "Once upon a time she was a steady on and off."

"Cute." Katherine smiled while sitting across him, she crossed her long legs and motioned a steamy stiletto in his direction. "We're going to be here for a while."

He only smoldered her with a smile.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Caroline whispered incredulous at Trevor.

"Wearing my hunger on my sleeve." He licked his lips, when the girl in his arms whimpered he shushed her with a single rest of his index against his lips.

"You can't do this." Caroline scolded him and neared the girl to check on her.

"Because you want to do it instead?" Trevor taunted her with a hand gripping the girl's neck and with blood dripping over to his fingers.

"Let that girl go." Caroline demanded.

Trevor simply responded by pushing his hand against Caroline's face and smearing it with blood, she stepped back affronted but the fresh blood made her eyes red and her fangs descend and she snarled with a vamped up face.

Trevor liked that and threw his prey at Caroline. "Have a go at her."

Caroline fought hard to concentrate and it was very hard considering how the blood was tempting but she used her training and breathed calmly. "Leave." She told the girl.

"Why would you send our food away?" Trevor didn't enjoy seeing the girl running away from them.

"You're not allowed to feed in the Academy like that." Caroline admonished him.

"Says who? Jenna, miss Southern goodness?" Trevor laughed loudly.

"Those are the rules of the Academy." Caroline said in a stern low voice.

But within a flicking moment Trevor was not laughing anymore and he was hauling Caroline away by shoving his hands against her chest, she flew across the row and the room ending on the wall near the tables.

Trevor walked slowly over to her and while she was trying to recover from the harsh throw he rested one knee on floor and leaned over to her. "Can you hear the appalled screams of shock?"

Caroline's eyes scanned what they could, she saw the few students around grabbing their things and heading for the exit, just like the old keeper who turned the small sign on the door and then left locking them inside.

"You're the new girl in school and you haven't made any friends yet or they would've warned you already that I run this circus and that everyone does what I want." He twisted a pencil in his hand before plunging it into Caroline's shoulder.

She screamed in pain, filling an empty library with her voice while Trevor smirked.

* * *

Bonnie had the location of the tree narrowed down but she always liked to push the envelope a bit and she was aiming at pinpointing Marcel's erratic motion, he wouldn't stop long enough in a place so he was running away from her radar constantly but he wasn't shielded by a cloaking spell and she would get to him eventually.

"Sooner or later…" She plunged a small red pin to a map, she last sensed him near that location but now that trail was cold.

Slowly she rubbed the top of her neck and lowered her head tired, she was pushing her luck tonight by looking for Marcel as well after uncovering the tree location in Iceland, well she was still waiting for conformation from Kol on that one but at the moment he was out with Jackson.

On a giving up note for the night she turned away from the table and headed for the bedroom, she was already close to the end of the hallway when the floor disappeared under her feet and she was suddenly cradled against Kol's chest while he carried her away to their bedroom.

She smiled when he left her at the foot of the bed, within a second he was back with a glass of water and a painkiller for the headache that was starting to nag her.

"Jackson has sent out a group to Iceland." He informed her with a gentle caress of her cheek.

Bonnie gritted the pill with her teeth before drinking the water. "I almost had a steady fix on Marcel tonight."

"We will find him." He calmly said while remaining crouched in front of her. "Just not tonight."

It was a series of seconds that ensued and although they were silent she found the moment strident, as it usually happened with him he adjusted his breathing to match hers and if he had a beating heart it would thump along according to her beat.

Softly she leaned over to kiss him, it was a loving touch of his lips that put to past the small quarrel that they had before and bringing him to her warmth she laid back on the bed taking him with her.

He knew of Bonnie's heart like no other, he knew her to be feisty and striking when she had to be but her enormous goodness would diminish his actions until they were forgotten but Bonnie's engraving touch in his personality was big therefore he came clean with her. "In my everlasting heaven there is only you and I, that's why I haven't asked the others to join us."

Bonnie glided her fingers through his chestnut hair. "No man is an island." She repeated what she insisted from day one and she even showed the same patience as she did solemnly. "It's impossible to ignore a family like yours."

Kol watched her features with love, before such a feeling forced itself on him he had never known fear, now he was haunted by this blood driven thought, _being with a Mikaelson was a death sentence_. "They challenge the bounds of my sanity for ten ongoing centuries now but I'm better than all of them and I'm selfish to keep you all to myself." He deflected his own thoughts by heaving her closer to him and by hiding his face in her neck.

Bonnie laughed against him with a stroking feel of his face. "And you're the prettiest of them all."

"The Lord did make me perfect, did he not?" He boyishly looked at her with an actual innocent smile.

She didn't answer but her eyes agreed with him and all that green in them sparkled in sheer happiness that her bland life had only started to shine the night that they met.

"But not as much as he made you darling." He was half serious but Bonnie cracked up and started laughing. "I need to work on my romantic lines." He crumbled his eyebrows.

Bonnie laughed louder and with a swift motion their legs were entangled and he was pressing her with his weight. "You kiss better than you do romance anyway." She brushed his lips.

Kol pressed them happy for a big kiss, he would endure all the pains in the world for the distinct burn that her love caused in him.

* * *

Trevor wrapped a hand around Caroline's throat and neck, he bent over to speak against her face, her breathing was rasp but controlled now and he smiled at her. "No one takes Jenna serious, she's demented if she thinks that can put a leach on a bunch of creative vampires in heat." He smelled Caroline's perfume oozing from her skin. "She would lose her goody mind if she ever found out what goes on in the parties."

His posture and his closeness were freaking Caroline out and the horrible throwback was excruciating for her but her body seemed to be working better than her mind and Caroline's hand slowly moved towards her shoulder. "You just had to ruin my college experience, didn't you?"

"We're just getting to know each other better Caroline." He gazed along her face.

"No thank you, I've known enough to know that I'm not interested." She pulled the pencil out of her shoulder and pushed it into his eyeball.

It was his turn to howl in pain and to sit on the floor harshly, it gave enough breathing room for Caroline to make a run to the door but to her desperation it was really locked and she didn't have time to break the lock.

Her second option was to find another exit and she quickly ran to the emergency door in the back.

"Caroline… you're pissing me off." Trevor lost the pencil but he was also losing a lot of blood from his eye.

The other door was inevitably locked as well and Caroline quickly tuned to the window, it wasn't a big fall and she was going to try it when a small voice called her out.

"Caroline…"

She turned her head to find Rose squatting in a corner. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to leave you… are you hurt?"

"I'm ok but we need to leave…" She turned her attention to the doors again.

"Where is he?" Rose asked scared, they couldn't hear him howling anymore.

Caroline tried to see past the rows. "I'm going to distract him and meanwhile you call someone for help." She looked at her bag that was still lying on the table.

"Who do I call?" Rose asked while standing up.

Caroline thought about an answer but before it came out Trevor showed up behind Rose and snapped her neck.

Caroline startled with a jump.

"I rather focus on the distraction alone." He stepped over Rose and came closer to Caroline.

She gulped down freezing for a bit.

* * *

Although Rebekah wasn't comfortable with the tacky place she kept in mind that she was here for a reason and so she headed to the back room immune to the sleazy looks that the men were casting her way, some with sweaty palms as they eyed her with rated films in their hands.

Rebekah sighed, it was somewhat expected that her biggest informer on this side of Europe was a porn director with a small store to sell his art, and it was the tiny slick man that she found in the smaller division going through a few pictures.

"It's not audition day." He said after a very brief look at the door.

"Are you aware that it only takes me two seconds to make someone tongue-less?" She cautioned the man known as Mr. X.

"Forgive me Rebekah, I wasn't expecting your visit."

"Haven't you heard about my stay in Belgium?"

Mr. X. paced closer to her. "I heard bits and rumors that Klaus shredded a few slayers out there and that you're traveling with a hot package."

"What can you tell me about her?"

"That she's a shunned witch and that the reason she was outcasted is a mystery that only her coven would be able to answer." He unnaturally smiled. "If anyone from that lot was still alive."

"What about these ash bullets that are popping up here and there?"

"There aren't many of those left but I would wear a bulletproof vest occasionally." He opened his safe to remove something wrapped up in a cloth from the inside and he handed it to her respectfully. "I said that I would have something for you the next time that we saw each other."

Rebekah knew that she was holding one of the five daggers that existed in the world able to hurt her family and to cause hallucinations, she also knew that having destroyed the other three daggers herself there was only one unaccounted for at the moment. "You did well." She took an envelop from her pocket and handed it to him.

Waiting for her outside was Matt who opened the door of the car for her.

"Have that secured until Bonnie can destroy it." She gave him the dagger.

"Was he helpful with anything else?" Matt asked when he sat behind the wheel.

"Not really but I don't like that I'm traveling with something that I don't know what is and blind to the real value that she has."

"I asked Laurence to keep an eye on her drawings." Matt informed as he smoothly drove them back to their temporary house.

"Send someone over to New Orleans to see if we can learn more about her coven."

"I've sent Lucien yesterday."

Rebekah glanced at him with a hidden smile.

Without taking his eyes from the road he pushed a button on his radio and Rebekah's favorite type of music echoed inside of the car, she liked everything that was Italian and he always had a different artist for her to hear, the short drive home was coming to an end and after parking on the driveway he quickly left his seat to open her door.

On the way to the living room she removed her jacket and dropped it on the foyer but before it hit the floor Matt caught it and walked over to the sofa to leave it there.

Rebekah had a few calls to make but she wanted something to drink first. "Matt can you…" She halted as he returned with a Mojito in one hand and the phone that she had left in her jacket in the other.

"Are you trying to impress me Matt?" She confronted him serious.

"If this doesn't work, I can also show you how much I've been working out." He quietly answered.

She had her drink with a steering look at his chest, it would be a crime not to see what hid under his clothes but no matter how detached sex would be for her she knew well how much she would be playing with his flaming feelings for her. "Can you please go and see if wonder girl has showcased her drawing talent yet?"

With a smile and a nod he left and Rebekah had her drink relatively in peace until Matt returned with a grave expression.

"Laurence says that she was in a trance for hours and this is what she did." Matt handed her the drawing in a hurry.

As soon as Rebekah's eyes landed on paper she looked up at Matt stunned.

* * *

Her reaction wasn't coming and she needed it fast.

"Are you going to make this easy on me?" Trevor asked with a small twitch in his hand as if he was itching to use it on Caroline.

With clasped heart and lips she decided that _no_ was his answer and grabbed the structure next to her, flipping it over and burying him under a huge stack of books.

Caroline flashed over to the table and to her bag but panicked when she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"These are some really good looking blades."

Caroline's mouth went open as Rose neared her with the Chinese daggers that should be inside of her bag, she was confused and a bit baffled to how things were unraveling.

Rose extended her neck to the a long lean to the side like she was healing a soreness. "Trevor was a bit rough there…"

"What do you want from me?" Caroline was looking for Rose's ring while confronting her.

Rose whooshed with tremendous force and pinned Caroline against a window. "Stefan sends his love."

Caroline caught her breath in fright.

"He was so surprised to find out that you were still alive and attending classes like nothing happened…" Rose hissed.

Caroline's breath picked up. "You work for him?"

Trevor was sitting over at the table where Caroline's bag was and he was going through her stuff. "Rose over there was Damon's…" He looked up searching for the word.

"Pet." She rolled out the word in her mouth pleased that it caused such a shiver in Caroline.

"You were with Damon?" Caroline knew how dense she was sounding but she was a bit slow processing it all.

"I was with him before you came along and after he turned you he stopped coming over to my house and everything became a Caroline fest, it was all about Caroline and all things Caroline related." She snarled.

"Did you like being with Damon?" At his point Caroline didn't know who was the sickest kid in the pot.

"I like when a man takes charge and Damon sure knew how to be the one in charge. And I like being punished..." Rose pursed her lips with a moan.

"Stefan knows that you had something to do with Damon and Giuseppe's death." Trevor smelled the little perfume bottle that Caroline had in her bag.

"He wants us to bring you to him but I think that you are going to have a little accident before that happens." Rose slammed her forehead against Caroline's, propelling the other's head against the window.

Caroline gushed out a mouthful of air as the glass shattered behind her but instantly she tried pushing Rose away, the two girls fought each other while Trevor went through the list of contacts on Caroline's phone, he grew stiff as not only she had Klaus Mikaelson's name in there but his entire family.

Rose was kicking Caroline left and right but the small amount of training that she had with Rebekah granted her some leverage and she grabbed Rose's foot knocking her to the floor next and really using a menacing right hook she punched the other vampire hard, then Caroline pulled the necklace that she saw shining from under the collar of Rose's shirt.

Instantly Rose's skin started peeling under the sun that was coming in from the shattered window and Caroline used the dagger lying next to her to cut through Rose's throat, it was a clean cut with blood gushing over to sprinkle Caroline's face.

Roughly she sat on the floor watching Rose's body burning and succumbing to ashes, when she looked away from that she searched for Trevor but he was gone and the library main door was open.

* * *

The knock was soft and Kol was the only able to hear it because Bonnie was sleeping and when he moved away from her side he was careful not to wake her.

At the door Jackson waited for him with news. "Matt just called, the Davina girl drew to precision the _Church on spilled blood_."

"It could be a trick." Kol crossed his arms.

"Or Klaus' plan could be working and all of Marcel's ways are cut and leading him straight to where we wanted him to go."

Kol nodded. "Gather a hundred men and have them ready to go on my command… tomorrow we are going to have ourselves a manhunt."

"I like the way that sounds." Jackson supported at once.

"And Jackson…" Kol lowered his voice. "Do it discreetly."

Jackson didn't have to lift his eyes towards the bedroom to know that he couldn't mess up this time.

* * *

Numbly Caroline closed the door of her car and glanced at the mirror, she fixed it so that she could see her reflection better, there were a few glass splinters on her neck and her face was reddish from dry blood, even her hair had smears of it and allowing the wreck to come forward Caroline crumbled into tears, she cried hard and loudly while covering her mouth and feeling shaken and beaten.

* * *

Naoki barely raised his eyes from the book that he was reading and from the tea that was warming his cup, he wasn't expecting any visits and surely not any customers as no one ever came in here with the sole purpose of eating his food.

The man in a leather jacket sat on the stool that left him right in front of Naoki while two men in dark suits guarded the door. "I'm Stefan Salvatore." He said.

Naoki turned a page on his book and reached for his cup. "I haven't made tea enough for two."

Stefan had a small chuckle. "Don't worry about it, I had enough tea in Japan. I just came back today from a visit there…" He attentively kept his eyes on Naoki.

"Did you enjoy my country?"

"I did, although I couldn't find what took me there in the first place."

"If you found nothing…" Naoki looked at him. "Then you found something after all."

Stefan had a wide smile while tapping the counter with his fingers. "You know… I'm a travelled man, I've been to many pretty places and Japan is just another pretty place but I was disappointed that I couldn't trace a single relative back to you."

Naoki held his stare with Stefan whilst slowly dropping his cup. "That's my fate to endure… not yours."

"I'm having the same problem since my father and my brother were recently killed but my luck is about to change because without the protection of the Council the vampires who attended the party where my brother was killed became a lot more talkative, a lot of them don't really like torture and they started remembering how Klaus and Kol left the party at the same time that Damon disappeared."

"If you're about to send a message I should probably remind you that English isn't my natural language and that something might be lost in translation." Naoki smiled at Stefan.

Stefan closed Naoki's book with a rude gesture. "Tell your friend Klaus that I know that he did it and that I'm just waiting for his next move."

Naoki waited until Stefan was out of the stool to have another small sip from his tea. "Since you've been educating yourself on our friendship, have you learned why they've sent Klaus after me in the first place?"

Stefan stopped on his way to the door. "Actually I don't have a clue."

"One time a man who was high by your ranks walked into my restaurant with a dozen of his men, at the counter he asked for what he wanted to eat and when I served him he offensively rejected my food, he turned on his stool and told his men that it was worthless, they all laughed at my work and he spat on the food that I had arranged for him with honor. He disrespected me in my own house because he was guarded by his dozen men, they were his pride so I killed them all and I made him eat his pride before I killed him."

The men at the door cringed with the story but Stefan kept his hard features.

"I will write down your note for Klaus." Naoki opened his book where he last had it open and went back to reading and drinking tea.

Stefan left with his thugs but he still looked back once at the calm and collected man behind the counter.

* * *

Caroline opened the door pretty shook up, she already had a shower and her warm clothes were doing wonders to her bones but still she felt rattled to the core and she hardly hid her spirit when she saw Klaus standing there.

He was feeding on anger by just looking at her and he was definitely more affected now than he had been when she first called him to tell him about what happened to her.

"I invite you in." Caroline said in a low voice.

Klaus had only one step while she remained where she was and without adding more words to it Caroline hid in his arms with this indescribable need to feel safe in them.

Respecting her silence he wrapped his arms around her and offered what he could at the moment, although he was aching to have his fingers wrapped around a few jugulars.

The small embrace did wonders and Caroline only pulled away from him to notice that there were at least fifty men behind him and occupying her street. "Klaus… who are those men?"

"They are here to keep you protected."

She leaned her body to the side to have a better look at them. "You brought your entire army with you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "They are more like my inner court if you must number them."

She twiddled her fingers between the ones outside and him. "How many men do you have under your leadership?"

"Enough to fill a continent like Asia."

She dropped her chin shocked.

"All sired to me by will."

She closed her mouth, sprinted a hand across her forehead and turned her back on him dizzy. "How many do your other siblings lead?"

Klaus closed the door and took his jacket off, he followed Caroline to the sofa. "Elijah has close to 500 followers, between Kol and Rebekah it's a constant competition but she's largely wining by a few thousands and as for Finn… well, everyone in Iceland still sees him as a leader."

There was a glass of scotch that had been her company before Klaus arrived and she took it into her hands again. "When you say followers, do you mean it like they are sired vampires?"

He deeply breathed, he rather be addressing what took place in the Academy.

"Please Klaus… I need to zone-out from what happened before I'm ready to talk about it." She asked softly.

He licked his lips pondering but if patience had his back he could certainly grant her this. "If we are going to talk about me then my only condition is that we skip the time when I had long curly locks and intricate hairdos."

She found the comment just the right kind of soothing and relaxed enough to rest her side against the sofa while facing him.

"Being an Original means that we have the ability to sire any vampire without having turned them, all vampires feel that natural siring appeal but it is our choice whether to enforce it. The others and I have only used it when we require a certain battle to go a certain way but the ones under our command follow us because they are attracted to a specific way of leadership."

"Like every one of you has something different that will make vampires react differently to each one of you."

"It only works in terms of battleship Caroline." He wished that he had explained this sooner to her.

Slowly she smiled at him. "Don't worry Klaus, if I had to be sired to someone again I think that it would be Rebekah because I was really drawn into her fighting personality."

"I had reached that conclusion myself." He motioned a smile.

She sighed. "We've spent all this time focused only on my story that I've missed everything that was bubbling around me and there's so much I missed about you and your story…" She looked at him wanting to undo that right now. "Tell me about your father… Ansel." She asked him in a tone that was entirely respectful about his legacy.

He complied naturally. "I must start from the foundation as any good tale. In Norse society there were three social classes, the majority of Norsemen belonged to the middle class and they were called the _Karls_, then above the freeman and land owners there were the _Jarls_ which was the noble class. Jarls were wealthy and owners of many ships and estates and by tradition everyone born in a Jarl family was by right a noble man but there was the case when a Karl could become a Jarl by gaining enough fame and wealth."

Caroline was invested on the tale and not on the drink anymore so she left that one on the coffee table. "When do the slaves get into the picture?"

Klaus gave a slight motion to his head. "Right you are love, the _Braell_ were the slaves and bondsmen, men who were obligated to work for a another to pay a debt or a crime such as theft."

"Mikael and Ansel were Jarls." She guessed what was easy for her.

"Both Kings by force and blood." He responded.

Intrigued she narrowed her eyes at him. "How could they be kings at the same time? And didn't you say yesterday that Ansel was the brother of the King?"

"An earl could be a title that was inherited or it could be conferred by prominent supporters. They weren't particularly viewed as sacred or special, instead they were viewed as exceptionally able and imperious men. The king was expected to be generous, to maintain his own and his followers' honor against outsiders and he had to lead. He was required to be a strong fighter, daring, crafty, and he fought hand to hand beside his men. He had to be a good public speaker, cheerful and inspirational, able to inspire and buoy his men. All of the above were clear attributes to the youngest of Mikaelson clan but while Ansel held the respect and love of his army and followers, he did not inherit his seat at the throne that was reserved for the eldest, Mikael."

"But Mikael wasn't as good as Ansel…" Caroline crunched her lips anticipating it.

"Mikael was cruel, vicious in his quests but a man who acted with his head instead of his heart."

Caroline rested her head on her palm. "We're getting to the juicy part."

"My grandfather was a dying man and it was time to choose who was going to lead the masses, although Ansel was the obvious choice for he was even the better fighter, Mikael appealed to the old man's heart by using the only flaw that he could find in his brother, the werewolf aspect. For one night every month Ansel and his army were an easy target and that weakness among the Norsemen was unforgiving."

Caroline's shoulders slumped. "That's so sad, they took away his reign for something that he couldn't control."

Klaus leaned back on the sofa with a smile. "Mikael claimed the coveted title but not the respect of his people, Vikings were not forgiving either and they never looked at him as the true king. The stories say that whenever Mikael and Ansel would walk into a room together everyone would bow down to Ansel first."

"That had to make Mikael angry…" She pulled her posture together as if she was shivering.

"His natural coldness turned into frustration and he became insufferable even for his Shellan. She often found refuge in the arms of the rather handsome werewolf whenever Mikael was callous to her."

Caroline played with her bright yellow sweater. "How did you become the leader of the Brotherhood?" She aimed at one of her biggest questions about him.

"Unlike Ansel, I was without weakness."

When she looked at him she barely noticed the smugness in him. "Do you see love as a weakness Klaus?"

He looked at her long enough to glue her to the sofa before he addressed her pertinent question. "Rebekah has certainly proved me right."

"I now understand this deep connection that you have with her."

"Although she doesn't have the werewolf genome from Ansel she has sadly inherited his heart."

"She's just more prone to showing it than you are."

He looked at her almost wondering if she was indeed serious but Caroline's calmness at this point was nothing but acceptance of his personality. "Why did those two rascals attacked you today?"

"I think that Stefan gave them the order but Rose was just scornful about Damon, she was one of his pets before he favored me."

Klaus leaned forward and rested his forearms over his knees, his carriage and the grave way that he was about to take a breather resonated with Caroline and she shook her head dreading what could possibly be going through his mind.

"On my way here I spoke to Sage…"

Caroline left the sofa in a leaping jolt. "You want to send me away, don't you?"

"You would be with Sage."

"No." She shook her head harder. "I don't want to go."

"The only reason I didn't kill Damon in front of everyone in that party was to give you a chance to break free from that torment and we can't afford to chance it now that Stefan knows that you're alive." He gradually lifted his voice without realizing it.

"I'm not going." She lowered hers.

"I'm going after him Caroline and Marcel is just where we want him, you cannot stand in the middle of a war zone that is about to implode." He shouted.

Surprisingly it caused a different reaction in Caroline than expected and she shouted back at him. "I don't want to leave you."

The way she raised her voice at him finally clashed with his senses and he noticed how strident he had been with her, he released a frustrated breath of regret and he closed his eyes for a second.

Without her awareness her eyes became teary and when Klaus reacted again she was in touch with his warmth as he paced to her and cradled her face with nothing but care for her.

"I'm not going to be broken forever Klaus and I'm so close… so close to being myself again." She whispered with her eyes steady on his. "And I'm not going to let another Salvatore ruin my life."

"They are on the path to extermination." He guaranteed before kissing her forehead.

Upon that soft sensation of his lips on her skin she closed her eyes and even held on to his hand as he started to put some distance between them, it was a feeble attempt to keep him there as he already headed for the door.

"You'll be safe with the ones I'm leaving outside." He stopped at the door to put his jacket on.

"You mean the entire S.W.A.T team." She hid her hands inside of her sweater sleeves.

"And Gloria." He smiled when he heard her rushed footsteps up the porch.

As soon as the door was out of her way Gloria opened her arms for Caroline. "Baby girl."

It caused a smile in Caroline and she effortlessly allowed Gloria to hug her tightly.

"What on Earth happened in that place?" Gloria glanced at Klaus as he left, he had only given her a few informations over the phone.

"This guy called Trevor and this girl Rose attacked me, they knew Stefan and Damon and now Stefan knows that I'm alive which… let's be honest, it was meant to happen because we are living in the same city." Caroline's eyes also drifted to the man now leaving in his car.

Gloria took her to the kitchen, softly guiding her towards a well-deserved cup of tea, while she started boiling the water she also looked around for something with a lot of alcohol percentage in it.

"Gloria, I killed the girl…" Caroline said with her eyes on the rim of her sleeves and a gloomy voice.

"Would she have killed you instead if you hadn't beaten her to it?"

Caroline nodded with little comfort.

Gloria poured a fresh portion of scotch for them. "This supernatural world of ours is like the jungle, the strong ones survive while the others are put six feet under, in a plastic bag or a pot of ashes. If a good decision is made for the wrong reasons it's still a wrong decision but not the other way around." She gave a single nod at Caroline.

Caroline had a small smile to spare.

Gloria pulled the chair and sat next to Caroline on the kitchen table. "That gloomy look on your face is not there only because of what happened earlier, is it? You're sad because Klaus didn't stay here with you."

Caroline nodded in a timid confession.

"Though Klaus has killed thousands, tonight he faces his biggest kill yet."

The smallest frown crossed Caroline's face.

Gloria smiled, she rested her hand over Caroline's before carrying on. "He's not just going after Trevor, he's going to kill anyone Trevor has ever turned."

Caroline's jarring reaction was a gasp and a violent shake of her head. "I'm not his Leelan or his Shellan."

"And I'm Beyoncé on my good days." Gloria said with sass.

Caroline gave her a look. "We haven't even kissed Gloria."

"On the old Viking days the man would only kiss his bride on the day of their marriage."

"Oh seriously…" Caroline grabbed her scotch glass and drank the entire thing on one take before grabbing her phone to call Klaus, she had to stop his radical ways if he was really in a warpath.

Gloria smiled amused with her huff and went over to the stove to finish their tea. "Yup, those were the days…" She murmured sure that Klaus was going to make the streets tonight as red as the old bridge.

* * *

Trevor was trying to get some gasoline into his car so that he had enough to get away from San Francisco and go as far as he could, he was jumpy and every car arriving was making him nervous, so much that he even forgot where he was and lit up a cigarette.

The next vehicle arriving was a motorcycle and he followed the movements that the hot girl made as she stepped down from her bike, she was wearing a tight short leather jacket that she unzipped to reveal a steamy tank-top and Trevor licked his lips on the spot.

The tall woman with long black hair smiled at him as she walked past him. "Hi." She seductively gazed in his direction.

That hit a note with him and he hugely smiled back at her. "Nice ride." He looked at her legs, the leather pants were on cue.

"Do you like bikes?" She stopped closely to him.

"I like riding." He flirted with her.

"It's my lucky night then." She said with the biggest smile.

Cocky he dragged a smoke from his cigarette. "Why is that?"

"I get to help kill a scumbag." She dropped dryly while she was already using her helmet to hit Trevor across the face.

He slumped against his car bleeding but quickly flashed over to the girl and he would be all over her if it wasn't for the two bulky guys that showed up in front of her, they punched Trevor at a time and he soon was on the ground being kicked by them.

The owner of the gas station ran over to them with a riffle in his hand. "Hey, step away from him." He warned them by firing a warning shot in the air.

"This is a Brotherhood affair." The girl simply told him.

Slowly the man lowered his gun and started pacing back into the small drugstore.

The attractive Japanese girl took the fuel hose and started pouring gasoline all over Trevor, he was all bloodied and wounded by the stronger vampires who now looked back as someone approached them calmly.

Trevor could only blink as his left eye was all covered in blood and he caught Klaus in a foggy image as the other crouched in front of him.

"These things are really a nasty habit, mate." He held what was left of Trevor's cigarette between two fingers.

Trevor started shaking as he saw the flaming object.

Klaus on his behalf was as cold and pacific as death left him and he hurdled the little flame towards Trevor without a single emotion in his eyes.

* * *

**Soundtrack**

Love myself – _Hailee Steinfeld _

Do I wanna know – _Hozier_

November – _Max Richter _

Revolt – _Nathan Lanier _


	13. Turn the corner

Caroline stood up as Klaus walked in but she remained by the staircase while her eyes searched for any signs of wounds, he was apparently free of those as he was immaculate of blood smears, there was no evidence that he had been hunting down an entire bloodline but that was not to say that he hadn't. "You didn't take my calls." She started off by saying although it made her sound silly, she knew why he hadn't been available.

He used his dubious crooked smile as he stopped next to her on the staircase. "Arriving home after a hunt and finding you waiting for me puts everything under a much more enchanting perspective."

"I was hoping that you would stop by to pick up your sword before you went out and terminated an entire line."

"I would hardly smear my blade on someone so insignificant as Trevor."

"He was significant enough for you to kill him."

"You're angry." He frowned.

She looked away but he was right on the money.

"I enjoy finding new sides of you."

She glared at him. "I'm not ok with you killing a lot of people because of me."

"Trevor didn't have a vast lineage." Easily he informed her.

"It's not about numbers Klaus." She sighed.

He moved his body closer to her an inch. "When someone dies the brain takes seven minutes to shut down entirely… that's when the so called flashback of your life happens and I find glee in the awareness that Trevor thought of the mistake that he made by seeking you out with the clear intention of harming you."

She had a slow flick of her tongue across her lips. "You didn't have to kill him Klaus…"

"I deserved my revenge and he deserved to die." Klaus delivered his secure response.

"I don't know what to say to that." She tried not to lower her eyes yet she did with her voice.

"Perhaps because what bothers you the most is not what I did but why I did it." He said knowing that she would lift her eyes upon those words.

And she did but looking into the blue clearness of his eyes she agreed with him silently and decided to turn away and leave.

That was her decision and Klaus left her in charge of it.

At the bottom of the staircase she decided to have a final word. "If I don't like something I'm going to tell you about it."

"And I look forward to your unfiltered outbursts."

"So you can't kill people in the name of something that we don't have."

"Is the _thing_ back to being a _thing_?"

She rolled her eyes with a huge huff and turned her back on him.

Anticipating her next move he remained as he was.

Caroline came back after only a few steps. "And I don't want all those people following me around." She pointed outside where his army was stationed.

"And you don't want to go to Italy."

She crumbed her lips as he hinted a big smirk.

"It's with jubilance that I accept your affirmation and I compromise willingly on everything else but the extermination of those who have harmed you. It's not up for discussion Caroline, this is how things are done in this family and whoever hurts you must suffer the consequences." He was the one turning away now and leaving to his bedroom.

She threw her head back and covered her eyes with her hands, so her first predicament was official, his actions were the voice of his feelings and she had to decide what do about hers.

* * *

"I'm about to leave…" Kol told Elijah as he came out of the front door, he was walking fast to the driveway and ending his call on the way. "I will call you as soon as I have him jammed into a pot of ashes." He joked just as he nodded at Jackson. "Is everything ready?" He put his phone away.

Jackson opened the door of the car for him somberly.

Kol halted just as he reached the seat that he was taking, he exchanged one look with Jackson who quickly lowered his head before heading over to the other car that he was driving.

"We're going to be late." Bonnie looked up from her compass.

Kol sat down with his eyes fixated on the woman sitting in the passenger seat. "I know that you intend to go with us because you're wearing your red warrior leather jacket." He closed his door a bit on a defensive note.

"I hope that I'm not too flashy…" She had a small look at herself.

He smiled with a mischievous twist. "You're naturally gorgeous which makes it impossible not to notice you." He started the car.

Bonnie leaned over with a smile. "We don't have time for this." She still kissed him taken by the compliment.

"There's still time to ask you to stay here."

She shook her head. "You're going after Marcel and you need a witch more than ever and I'm your witch." She left another wet peck on his lips before sitting straight.

He licked his lips. "Once we get there, you're staying in the car."

"What if Marcel finds me alone in the car, or if his men set fire to the car while I'm trapped inside for some reason?" She faked this huge gasp. "What if that's his biggest plan yet?"

Kol drove out of his driveway upset. "I'm sure that you found that funny."

She smiled but without a laughing connotation and gently stroked the back of his hair, her fingers played in his hair while she spoke. "I'm not going to stay home and watch Russian television when I can help you capture Marcel."

"Don't be a hero." He waited until he was looking at her to raise an eyebrow.

"I'll leave that to you." She moved her hand to his cheek.

Sweetly he caught her hand. "We need a plan."

Bonnie had a small chuckle. "Kol… you would never leave the house without a plan." She looked at her mystical compass. "But I have a plan B."

"_B_…" He grumbled the implication behind it.

"Just like me." She beamed at him. "I'm going to do a little sightseeing."

"B as in bad idea…" He shook his head with his eyes on the road.

Cackling Bonnie kissed his cheek.

* * *

She hesitated at the door but her first unsure steps inside were done with a smile that became bigger when she saw how welcoming Naoki was.

"I prepared green tea for us." He started to pour it into a small cup that he moved closer to her side of the counter.

"I was wondering if you would be expecting me…" She squinted as she reached the counter.

"I sensed that someone troubled would visit today." He poured some tea for him as well. "I'm most happy that it was you."

"Did you read my aura or something to know that I was troubled?" She asked him wary.

"No, you had a small frown when you walked in." He was practical with his answer but added a wink.

Caroline smiled a bit. "Your friend Klaus has a way of affecting me." She confessed while wrapping her hand around the cup of tea closer to her.

"A strong aspect of his personality but one that makes him what he is."

She held her gaze a bit before letting the question out. "Do you know what he did last night?"

Easily he responded. "There aren't many secrets between us."

Caroline had her tea with a reaction that was close to a defeating sigh. "I wish he hadn't done that."

"Would you be more satisfied if you had done the action yourself?"

She stared at him perplexed. "Of course not."

"Ummm." Naoki had his tea with a musing sound.

"It's not even what he did but why he did it."

"I'm not impressed when he kills without a reason but he was motivated last night."

_Motivated_. That was such a scary word for her. "What connects you specifically to Klaus?" She ventured a small detour from their initial conversation.

"My answer requires a small walk." He left behind his standing position behind the counter and motioned his hand towards the small compartment in the back.

There was something trustworthy about Naoki that made Caroline follow him without questioning him and she predicted that whatever he was about to show her was as profound as the way that he spoke and handled himself.

Naoki led her to a small space that was filled with an equally small structure made of white marble, it consisted of two large pieces glued together and united at one end making it look like an altar, on the vertical piece there were three wide white ribbons with Japanese letters on it and on the marble that was used as a supporting surface there was incense and a picture that Naoki picked up.

"This was my family." He showed Caroline the picture of a beautiful woman sided by a young girl and a small boy.

It concerned her that he was using the past tense. "They look happy." For her that was the biggest standout from the black and white picture.

"I left them to join a war that my country forged and while I was away an important Yakuza man fell charmed by my daughter's beauty, she was only 16 and when she offended him by refusing his interest he went to my house and killed my family. He left her for last…" Naoki's voice was cringed inside of his throat.

"I'm so sorry." Caroline whispered emotional about the story and the pain that Naoki was keeping within himself.

He looked up from the picture with tears touching his black eyes. "When I returned home, I had nothing but a name that I would seek and a head that I would behead."

There was the strongest shiver that made Caroline cross her arms.

"Atsuo was the influential face of organized crime in Japan and to get near him I had to kill thousands, when my arm grew tired I recalled the family that I had to bury and I stopped at nothing. Not even when in his desperation Atsuo bought the services of a lethal assassin, I fought him the best that I could but Klaus is the best soldier that I ever encountered."

Caroline was sad with the shift that the tale was taking.

Aware of it Naoki smiled. "We fought for an entire day and when I laid my sword down I only asked him to give me a honorable death and to use my sword."

"That's why he turned you." Caroline was faster than his depiction of what happened.

Naoki returned the picture to where it belonged. "He said at the time that he was most captivated as to why a human would fight so relentlessly and when he asked me what was the reason behind my quest I told him of what was stolen from me. I further told him about my code and my beliefs and when I prepared for a good death he offered me something else instead. He offered me a stronger arm to hold my sword, a better body to resist my enemies and the everlasting ability to search for Atsuo without growing tired or having the need to sleep. He offered me the opportunity to avenge my loved ones."

"Was there any gratification when you killed Atsuo?" She asked bluntly, without fear for his reply.

"_Earnestly they all will beseech, but to no avail._"

Caroline narrowed her eyes.

"The Brotherhood has a code as well." He went back to the restaurant.

Caroline followed him to the stools. "You are one of them?"

"As part of my _Giri_." He prepared to explain but Caroline waved her hands before pointing at him so he lowered his chin in respect, giving her the word instead.

"I know that one, I read about it. It's a value that Japanese have that means duty or obligation, you feel obligated to pay a debt to Klaus because he gave you the power that you needed to kill Atsuo."

"It's a debt that can never be repaid."

"But you don't sound sad about it."

Naoki enjoyed his tea. "Why should I find sadness in a life purpose, in my will to carry out my duty to the best of my abilities?"

Caroline looked at him thoughtful. "You don't mind being forced to do something?"

He rested his arms by the elbow on the counter. "Giri is born out of a selfless action that instigates respect and loyalty. Which is the greatest feeling to nurture for someone, after love."

"Not long ago I was sired to a man who forced me to feel those things for him."

"Then they weren't real, which means that you have yet to fully experience them."

"Haven't you thought of starting your life over with someone else?"

Naoki smiled. "I think that the Viking culture explains it the best, there's only one Shellan meant for each one of us."

And with that the conversation circled back into what she had been struggling with since she arrived but she intended on pleading to his abundant wisdom. "I hate the idea of _belonging_ to someone."

With a calm gesture, so full of all the knowledge that he possessed Naoki reached for a weapon that he took from under the counter. "This is my _Tachi_, it's 70 centimeters in cutting edge length and compared to a katana it's lighter in weight." He crossed a hand above the sword. "In proportion to its length." He touched the engravings on the blade. "The _Mei_ is the signature inscribed on the tang, it's not there to show everyone that I own this sword, it's there because I'm proud that I was given the honor of touching this Tachi." He swiftly picked up his sword and held it above his head, he slowly lowered his head and with a bow to the sword he pronounced a few Japanese words.

His posture was one of respect and even gratitude for what Caroline could identify and she collected all of those details, finding just that bit of guidance that she was roaming around for.

Naoki laid his sword on the counter with a smile. "We are not given a sword, as Samurais we must earn it, by respecting our code and by showing that we are worthy of it. Then a great master will forge a sword that will be given to us with our signature and it is our duty to take care of our sword and to cherish it until we die. A Samurai's biggest shame is to lose his sword and if you look through all the romantic tales many say that a man and his sword is like a man and his soulmate…"

"You can try a million but only one is the right one?" Caroline playfully asked.

He winked at her which was playful of him as well but he started pouring tea with a more serious take on it. "The Samurai women had the most beautiful swords, many had their Mei engraved in gold."

"I guess that it's all a question of perspective." She looked at him with puckered eyebrows. "I walked in troubled and I leave confused."

"The Onna-bugeisha are curious in their minds, good in their hearts and warriors in their blood." He poked her with the innuendo before he started cooking. "I'm going to make _miso soup_ for us."

Basking in his words Caroline admired his sword wondering how hers would look like.

* * *

"_The Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is known to locals as the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, or even just the Church on the Blood, as it marks the spot where Alexander II was fatally wounded in an assassination attempt on March 1, 1881. Designed by Alfred Parland in the style of 16th and 17th-century Russian churches, the Church of the Resurrection provides a stark that some would say jarring, contrast to its surroundings of Baroque, Classical and Modernist architecture…_" The guide explained the group as she gave them time to absorb how incredibly different the interior of the famous church was.

Bonnie was among the large group of tourists but as the group started to move along she noticed that someone was standing too closely to her, when she looked up to search for a face she found it hidden by a hood.

"You have to love a man who builds a church out of blood." The man spoke with a whimsical tone.

"It's a bit too colorful for my taste… Marcel." She looked straight at him.

"I need five minutes before you scream for help." He lowered his hood to reveal a smiling face.

"You have ten." She informed him fearless. "So whatever you are planing on doing, make it quick so that I can fry your brain."

"It's not easy to meet someone for the first time and to find a sparkle of someone else."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes finding him odd. "What kind of a creepy conversation is that?" She was expecting open threats and a glimpse of his fangs, not a strange siren talk.

"How well do you know your father, Bonnie?"

"Leave my family out of this." She hissed at him ready to take action.

"Easy on the growl witch, I'm trying to keep things peaceful for now."

Daring she had a step closer to him with a determined look on her green wild eyes. "I don't care who you are, if you touch my family I will take you down." She said regardless of how huge and mean Marcel looked.

The handsome broad man smiled, it gave him an attractive appeal that was distinctive as much as his pearly-white align teeth and his intense brown eyes. "Do you know who my sister was?"

It was tiny the soft line that momentarily crossed her features. "Kol lost a sibling as well so I'm not going to sway my sympathy your way."

He had the smallest glance around. "We're trying to be discrete here…"

She scoffed with a chuckle. "You've been slaughtering left and right but somehow you're worried about a scene?" Her feisty outburst was toned down when she felt a cold tip of a blade pressing her top.

"That's your liver, if I cut through it you'll bleed out before your lover realizes that making you take the tour wasn't the brightest idea ever."

Bonnie gritted her teeth.

"Now that you're listening…" He kept his voice low and his knife where he wanted. "I've been watching you for a while and despite your horrible taste in men you seem like a smart girl." He handed her a picture. "And I'm really just trying to make you see the obvious."

She took the picture with a smile.

That threw him off and he squinted at her. "Wait…"

"On my way here it finally hit me… I was always so close to nailing your exact location but I was only close enough until I moved, like the counter end of a compass, so I figured it out last night that you were after me."

Marcel caught the tiniest flick of her eyes over his shoulder and he was so fast and swift that he plunged the knife into the neck of the vampire about to take him down.

Bonnie raced to the door as the tourists who were left in the church started screaming, she felt the woman behind her taking the hit as Marcel furiously tossed the knife her way and she literally flung herself in Kol's arms as he appeared at the front door, shielding her against him he turned for cover while Jackson and the others fired a full round of vervain casings from machine guns.

Marcel was propelled to the floor violently and his screams echoed inside of the church as they discharged over 40 rounds on him.

Bonnie covered her ears from the shots and the screams and she wasn't even aware of how much she was shaking until Kol asked her if she was all right, she moved away from his chest so that she could see the man lying on the floor unconscious and with a fuming chest. "Yes…" She mumbled, it wasn't until he moved her curls away from her face gently that she looked at him. "Really." She assured him.

"We need to hurry." Jackson called for the coffin that was brought in and without wasting time Marcel was placed inside.

Four men picked up the coffin and walked by Bonnie, stopping only enough for her to touch it and to chant a small incantation that would seal the coffin under the realm of her magic, after that she had a small look at the mess they made and at the few remaining people who were squatted in corners and terrified. "Well… my first plan wasn't that badly executed."

"What's that?" Kol noticed the picture in her hand.

Bonnie looked at the picture with a better eye this time. "I don't know." She stated without a clue why Marcel had a picture of her father with a family that wasn't hers.

* * *

The day was turning cold but instead of the usual dark that came with heavy clouds of rain it was a weird misty day and after a faint showcasing of sun there was a drizzling accompanying her walk to the front door, she expected to find Klaus in the office but her walk was paused just at the beginning of the hallway.

Klaus had guests and she would never dare to barge in, neither should she linger here and listen to the talk but her quiet manners were overtaken by the fraction of what she heard and then she couldn't move at all.

* * *

"… you know how much I loved my daughter…" The woman's voice broke with the strength that left her. "But what they did to her… I couldn't even recognize her at the funeral."

Klaus offered her a big glass filled with scotch.

"That's what sets you apart." She smiled. "Most men would offer me a handkerchief." She took the drink. "I'm happy that I wasn't wrong coming to you for help."

"Aya, you're an old acquaintance and I wouldn't refuse you my aid but you are a respectable and known member of the Council so I have to ask if you have taken this matter to them."

Aya swallowed the rest of her drink angrily. "The crew that used my daughter as a blood bag and then killed her belongs to another Council member."

"The ever quicksands of the Council." Klaus mused.

"You're a man who makes the rules and I'm a mother who wants revenge, the Council is falling apart but while it lasts I will be your eyes and knowledge inside of it." She handed him a list of the men she wanted executed.

"I will handle it myself." Klaus reached an agreement with her by accepting the list and her help.

Aya nodded at him and left the office with a head held high, she crossed paths with Caroline in the hallway and exchanged a small smile with her.

Caroline looked away from the attractive tall black woman with short black hair and piercing brown eyes to look at Klaus who just joined her side. "Who is she?"

"Aya Al-Rashid."

"I heard your conversation." She owned up.

"Years ago and indulged by an old desire Aya adopted a little girl and raised her as a daughter, she was educated in our old ways but as usually happens with youth she chose her own path. Two nights ago she was found dead and her murderers are well known in our circle."

"She mentioned that they were connected to someone on the Council…"

"A vampire I personally dislike, he feeds only on vampires that he then vanquishes and his name is Mohinder."

"Are you going after him?" It was just a filler question because what she really wanted to ask was if he was dangerous, which he probably was and that worried her.

"Aya only asked for the head of those who touched her daughter."

"But that will make this Mohinder fella react."

He eased the small tension in her face by running the back of his hand across her cheek. "Or he educates his vampires to stop acting like the beasts that Marcel insists we've all became."

His gentle motion contradicted that assumption and there was a small heat warming her cheeks as she sustained his touch effortlessly. "There's so much more to the Brotherhood than the cool name."

"You'd be surprised how many political decisions are made by Elijah." His hand drifted a bit to her chin.

"He'd be a good Mayor." She said while he poked one of her bouncy curls.

"He's not a fan of the spotlight."

She smiled but the words stinging in her mouth needed to come out. "Will you be careful during your hunt?"

"Depends if you're willing to tend after my wounds." He teased with a big smirk.

"You're not funny." She stated with utmost seriousness and went around him to walk away.

He laughed as a message reached his phone. "I suppose I'll have to do my own stitches."

She groaned. "Maybe last time was fun for you but trust me that digging for ash inside of your flesh wasn't something that I want to avidly repeat."

"Hmmm…" Klaus reacted to the message rather than to her wit.

Caroline turned to face him.

"Kol caught Marcel…" He looked up at her. "He corned him inside of a church and successfully has him locked inside of a coffin."

"What happens now?"

Klaus smiled at her. "The real fun begins." He exchanged his phone for the car keys. "But Stefan will have to wait, first I have to give Aya something to smile about."

She walked with him to the front door, it was colder now but the drizzle hadn't turned into rain yet.

"Can I look forward to a sweet wait in the staircase?" He tested the waters with Caroline.

"I don't want to create a habit." She turned away and went back into the house with a stance that really touched a regal status.

With a delicious smile he watched her turn towards his office. "I could get used to _that_."

She backed up her cute little scoffing attitude with a chuckle. "I'm going to organize your office, I haven't been there for a while."

Swiftly he left before she called him out on the huge confusion that she was about to encounter there.

"Seriously." She sighed from the threshold, there were books and papers everywhere and a stack of dirty glasses scattered around the room. "You're capable of cutting people into tiny perfect squares but you can't throw your leftovers into the garbage?" She quietly ranted while tossing empty blood bags into the bin, she couldn't believe that he just had a meeting in here.

After she separated the trash from the rest she had his books ordered by author and the daggers arranged by size, it only took her an hour to restore some glory to the room and with the time on her side she decided to visit the bedroom she first occupied when she arrived to the house.

Walking down the hallway had a bittersweet feeling to it, she remembered exactly how incredibly detached from life she felt as Klaus carried her here that first night and how everything was so much different now.

The guest bedroom was exactly as she had left it and Caroline searched for that one thing on her mind, she removed the mirror from the wall focusing on the marks that she made there to remind her of every day that she was free from Damon, it was with a victorious smile that she thought of how she stopped making them as soon as she moved out.

Not because she was plunged into hell again but because there was no room for Damon in her life anymore, she was healing which would take its time but she was also breaking free from a past that died along with him, he couldn't hurt her anymore and she was starting to believe that.

She covered the marks with a long look at the image reflected on the mirror, she liked what she saw as well and things only improved when a familiar face peeked into the room.

"I knew that having the Jag in the driveway meant that you were here." Sage happily said.

"Sage!" Caroline literally squealed and ran to the other woman so that she could hug her. "I can't believe that you're back."

Sage pulled away from the hug with a warrior glare. "Of course that I am, we left Italy as soon as I learned of your attack."

"Klaus killed Trevor and his vampires." Caroline informed her a bit unsettled.

"Well if he hadn't, I would." She flat-out said.

Caroline's laughter came easily and she shook her head. "You're one of a kind Sage."

Sage narrowed her eyes with a lowering of her chin. "I didn't pick up on this glow over on Skype."

"There's only the glow of judging Klaus for what he did."

"He kills people everyday."

Caroline pursed her lips with a huff.

Wisely Sage smiled. "But this time he did to to avenge you."

"I didn't ask him to kill anyone."

"His actions are not a mirror of your heart but they are entirely a reflection of his."

Caroline apprehensively clasped her lips.

Smiling Sage took Caroline's hands into hers. "Vikings are different from everyone else, and they are a bit crazy… leaving a dead animal in front of a hut of a maiden was seen as courtship."

"Ugh…" Caroline protested. "I just knew that there would be something like that in your culture."

"I wasn't a big fan of that either, blood was so hard to clean and then there was all the animal parts scattered around." Sage rolled her eyes.

Caroline wrinkled her nose. "Are you saying that this is Klaus being very literal again?"

"That, and ending the life of a lowlife that would certainly target another girl and hurt her."

Caroline smiled feeling less anxious.

"I'm going to make dinner, food always makes everything better." Sage decided with a spin that took her out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

Caroline followed her without hurry, her friend was back with her passion for the kitchen and she liked doing things alone so Caroline was going to swing by the library to occupy herself.

The massive room was full of diversity and she had a few options that she liked but during her search she drifted her eyes to the wall, there was a particular painting there that was intriguing her massively.

"Niklaus' version of Persephone and Hades." Finn joined her side commenting on the art piece, a woman wearing a crown of flowers while at her feet a kneeling man bled from his shoulders, like he had wings that had been tore apart from his back.

"It's funny…" Caroline looked at Finn. "I always thought that it was the other way around, I mean, from the little that I've read about it I was convinced that it was Hades who held power over Persephone."

"It takes one famous painting to induce many wrong interpretation of the real story." He pointed at Klaus' work. "I'm a big aficionado of Greek mythology and I've studied it for years so Niklaus has it right. The story begins when during one of his rare incursions outside of his home, the Underworld, Hades saw Persephone in a field picking up flowers, he was so smitten by her beauty that he instantly fell in love and chose her to be his queen but Persephone was aghast to be the chosen one for the God of the Dead and vouched to never love him back. Although at first reluctant and closed up Persephone remained in the Underworld with her husband and with time she started to know the man who carried the gift of death and slowly she fell in love with him as well, coming to embrace him and his world. So much that when he, out of deep love for her, granted her permission to leave him and to return to her world she chose to eat the enchanted pomegranate seeds that linked her to the Underworld for eternity."

"And to Hades." Caroline whispered with her eyes fixated on the painting.

"For six months she lived among us, when Spring blossoms and flowers cover everything and for the remaining six months she returned to her husband and to the world she came to love and rule. Persephone became the queen of the Underworld and she held a power that was greater than her husband, the ancient Greeks didn't dare to speak her name… they called her _Kore, the maiden_. That's how venerated she was."

"Because she understood his world she was able to love Hades despite what he was."

Finn smiled at her. "Understanding a man who has the taste for death is not easy but by doing that she freed him of his burden and by allowing himself to be loved back Hades compromised as well. Persephone became his world and a woman who has light in her will always make darkness that more powerful in juxtapose."

"Hades venerated and respected her as his queen." Caroline gave voice to Klaus' interpretation.

"There is a greater sense of love when validating someone else's power, rather than pointing out their weaknesses."

Caroline could only smile at that. "This insane intensity and insight that you all have pushed away every other girl in Klaus' life…" She squinted playfully at him. "Right?"

Richly Finn laughed. "We all took turns intimidating them and Niklaus had his fun scaring a few of them away but none of them were worthy of belonging to this family." He walked away with a smirk. "Our conniving ways have finally paid off."

Caroline stayed behind with her eyes on the painting that Klaus signed, she couldn't see the face of the man but the woman was a blonde looking down on him with love and it was striking how much she resembled the woman on the canvas.

* * *

The weather was taking a turn to an icy front and Katherine looked away from the cold to the hot spot in front of her. "It was such a good call to put a spell on the house, it's warmer in her than outside and I have the best company in town."

Elijah was moving his phone to a pocket, he just received good news but he kept his smile hidden when he faced Katherine. "I need to leave in one hour Katherine and I'm not doing so without taking the stakes with me."

"You're free to search me…" She moved her hands to the sides, stroking the couch in an inviting way.

"I am able to compel you Katherine." He informed her clearly.

Seductively she smiled at him. "We have one hour left and there's not much I wouldn't do willingly with you Elijah."

"I'm only interested in the stakes."

"If you only knew what you're missing…" She moaned with a long look at his lips.

"Currently I'm missing a valuable weapon and worthy information about Davina."

She decided to give him a small handout. "Davina is a very special witch with unnatural powers." She crossed her arms. "And that's all that I'm saying about it."

"Do you know the mythology behind an Original vampire?"

She hesitated, mainly because he was smiling. "I know enough to take my vervain every day."

"I'm a pureblooded vampire Katherine, I am able to compel anyone without even having to look at them and I assure you that vervain is a child's play that means nothing to me."

For the first time she reduced her smile. "That's not nice to know."

"I'm a gentleman Katherine and our hour isn't over yet, I would like to enjoy your company a bit more before I'm forced to change the dynamic between us."

Lusciously she rekindled her flirtatious smile. "If you're trying to woo me Elijah, you should know that a thief never falls in love and that I'm going to end up to stealing your heart."

"That's a vault that you will never open." He said after a small laugh.

She laughed as well but with a challenge sparkling in her eyes.

* * *

They had decided to move her and Davina was playing nice for now, the couple in charge of her transportation were Rebekah and the cute guy called Matt, before she took any action she wanted to know them better and the only way to do so was to play dumb for now.

Taking the opportunity to stretch his legs for a bit Matt was standing outside while Rebekah was buying coffee for them at the small drugstore, Davina found him so transparent that she felt sickened by the way that he admired Rebekah, the Originals were hideous creatures that deserved what was coming to them.

"The nearest hotel is five hours from here, then it's just road until we get to the next boarder." Rebekah arrived with the news. "We need to decide if it's worth stopping for the night or if we just drive on."

"I was excited as soon as you've mentioned a hotel room." Matt quickly smiled.

"It's not for us Matt, it's for the wonder girl in the back seat." Rebekah took the driver's place.

He closed the door of the passenger side with a sigh. "She has to sleep at some point so I was only suggesting that we make the best out of this road trip."

"I'm not going to have sex with you Matt." Rebekah sipped on her coffee while she started the car.

"How about sweet love making?"

He asked with an innocence that was so generously implied that Rebekah laughed with a disconcerting shake of her head.

"I like how you haven't totally shut me down just now." That certainly gave him hope for more.

"You two are disgusting." Davina's protest interrupted the mood.

Rebekah glanced back at her. "Remember how freely and unrestrained you're traveling now and how quickly all that can change for you."

Davina forced a smile but took into consideration what was offered to her, she kept quiet while the other two kept on flirting back and forth and while she was looking at the window she noticed a tiny spider that was dead and trapped in a small web, she touched the spider and a second later the animal was moving without anyone's knowledge but hers.

* * *

Bonnie was looking at the picture with a big messy trail of thought, this could actually explain a lot of things that she never understood about her childhood but at the moment every question raised another one and she was confused about everything.

Kol found her in the balcony of their room and he rested his jacket on the rail with a bit of a tired motion. "We finally have him."

Bonnie folded the picture, she also had a world of questions now. "I want to go back to San Francisco… if there's anything real about this picture I want to find it."

He smiled when she glided her thumb across his cheek. "There's probably nothing to it."

"I know but I can't ignore it either." She sweetly kissed him on the lips before going inside to the bedroom.

With a heavy weight on his shoulders Kol placed both hands on the rail, he gazed at the big beautiful property anticipating a big storm ahead, apparently what Katherine told Elijah about Marcel was right and now he was in trouble because he kept the information from Bonnie.

* * *

The strange icy cold gave way to snow and Caroline had been on the garden marveled by the peaceful white blanket that was taking over everything, the snow was fresh and softer than she imagined, she hardly felt the snowflakes falling on her hand but they still tickled her and she brought her palms together in a shell so that she could catch a bit of it.

"It hasn't snowed in San Francisco for years." Klaus was making his way to the gazebo, she wasn't in the staircase waiting but she was still in the house and looking like an angel surrounded by white falling snow.

"I had never touched snow before." She returned what was left of it in her hands to the growing inch outside of the gazebo.

Using his jacket he covered her shoulders. "You're shivering and cold."

Embraced by his smell she shook her head softly. "Not anymore." She brought her hand to his features and with nothing but gentleness she outlined every line that formed his cheekbones, his chin and nearing the curve of his lips she smiled. "All day I've been wrapped up in doubts and second thoughts but this time they weren't about what happened before we met, they were all about you. Of where we are headed."

"I don't need a decision tonight Caroline." He didn't hide how much her touch made his steady voice break.

"I don't know how long it will take me to be all that I used to be but…" Her hand traced his neck. "Can I kiss you Klaus?"

Sold on that he stroked her face like he had done in the morning. "You can do whatever you want Caroline and I will hold time still if that's what you need."

She smiled with an inching motion towards his lips. "Maybe for just this one moment…"

Delicately she rested her lips against his, softly brushing the softness in them, neither of them were breathing as that first touch happened and they held their breath for as long as their lips pressed each other.

Slowly she pulled away first but she was smiling and she was happy so that feeling consumed her with warmth, still she nuzzled against him like she was cold from the snow and searching for his heat. "It's going to be a long way but I've decided that I want to do it with you." She enjoyed his heat crossing over to her body, she wasn't born in his world but she liked being part of it and he wasn't trying to change her, he was only letting her grow.

Standing in the middle of the gazebo and with tiny snowflakes blanking them they shared a smile, just before kissing again.

* * *

**Soundtrack:**

Hey now – _London Grammar _

I shall rise – _Karen O_

Iscariot - _Walk the moon_

Grow – _Frances_


	14. A walk in the Underworld

_Even if one's head were to be suddenly cut off, he should be able to do one more action with certainty. With martial valor, if one becomes like a revengeful ghost and shows great determination, though his head is cut off, he should not die._

**Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai**

* * *

Caroline knotted a red scarf on top of her head, she settled for a cute 50's like bow around the bundle of hair that was caught in a really loose bun, she checked a few times to make sure that her hair was perfectly trimmed and that she was showcasing her new earrings that resembled a white blossom flower, she was happy with it and after applying a bright red lipstick on her lips she scooped up Dickens in her arms and left the house in a good mood, the smile was effortless for Gloria as the other greeted her from her porch. "Good morning Gloria."

Gloria rested her book for a bit. "Good morning sunshine, how is my fluffy friend this morning?"

After a small chuckle Caroline stroked the cat's tummy. "He was rubbing his head against the door ready to leave the house." She released the cat to watch him regally leap his way to Gloria.

"We have a good thing going on, he likes to sleep and I like to drink." She smiled while Dickens cuddled next to her. "And he's a great listener when he's awake."

"That's sweet." Caroline was sold on the tenderness of that friendship. "Thank you so much for babysitting him by the way."

"It's for a good cause." Gloria's smirk was wisely on cue with the arrival of Klaus' car.

"I will see you tonight." Caroline rushed to the car with a big smile.

"Or tomorrow morning." Gloria said between lips and while she waved at the couple goodbye.

"Hi." Caroline sweetly greeted Klaus as soon as she closed the door of the car.

"Good morning sweetheart." He started their journey smoothly.

Curious Caroline inquired about their destination. "Where are we going today?" She narrowed her eyes at the grey weather. "It's not too inviting to go over to the beach."

"After a bit of snow last night I decided that an icy environment is mandatory." He teased a clue about his intentions.

Caroline was excited about the hint but as they arrived to the famous _Yerba Buena Ice Skating Center_ her enthusiasm faded. "It's closed to the public because of a tournament." She read the small sign with sadness.

"And so it says."

Instantly she noticed the amusement in his voice. "There's a Klaus twist in here somewhere." She exited the car with a dubious look at him.

Cackling he offered his hand for the take. "It's open for us."

With a joyful expression she hid her hand in his.

* * *

After a small standoff there was no other option for Katherine but to come clean with Elijah, she would hand over the stakes but they would have to take a small trip to a famous hotel among their circle.

_The Abode_ was a five-star hotel where many supernatural beings stayed whenever in the city because it was a haven, the owner was a famous warlock called Papa Tunde that established a simple rule, it was forbidden to conduct any type of violence inside of the hotel and the rules were to be respected by everyone or he would hex the offenders personally.

Katherine didn't have a permanent address but she often used one of the suites in here and she was known by everyone, it was with a smile that they all welcomed her and there weren't any questions made when she asked for her room.

On the way to the elevator she had a small glance back. "You don't have to walk so close to me Elijah."

Indeed he followed her while leaving only a few inches of distance between them. "We've left the house because you assured me that the stakes were in this location, with that in mind it's highly unlikely that I will let you out of my reach."

Lusciously she held her glance for a bit longer. "If you're planning on staying so glued to my back, I expect to get something out of it as well."

He stoically left his eyes on her face instead and deviating to her inviting cleavage. "I'm not a selfish man by nature."

She gracefully made her way into the elevator. "The last thing on my mind right now is a pair of stakes." She sighed while touching the number she wanted on the panel.

As he had done in the lobby Elijah stood very closely to her back and chuckled. "I assure you that your blunt implications have not made me deviate an inch from what I'm after."

Her naughty mind took over and she smiled shamelessly enjoying her dirty thoughts. "I was counting on a perfect aim." She strutted out of the elevator and securely made her way down the hallway, she knew how tight the dress was on her and she imagined Elijah licking his lips knowing that she wasn't looking. "And I bet that the thought is burning in your mind right now." She stopped at the end of the corridor and reached for the door with the electronic card key.

Elijah was fast as a bullet and grabbed her wrist. "Allow me."

"You want to be the one to push?" She seductively whispered her words out.

It was impossible to contain his smile but he kept his trail of thought pure. "You're a frequent client at this hotel therefore I'm not allowing you inside of this room first."

She sighed pulling back her hand and her posture. "Go ahead then."

Elijah opened the door cautiously and took the lead inside, after his first two steps there was a whooshing sound that he wasn't able to anticipate and he was hit in the chest with five stakes that were launched from a weapon that was activated by motion.

"You wanted in first." Katherine said as she stepped over a momentarily lifeless Elijah.

* * *

She had the rink all to herself and although Klaus wasn't really planing on hiring a teacher he was still surprised with how well Caroline could skate, she was effortlessly gliding across the ice like she was merely preparing to fly.

The first minutes were only for her to get the feel of the arena, once she had that covered Caroline started doing small spins, they came one after the other and she started giving extra speed to her motions, Klaus was watching from the sidelines and she passed him with a smug turn that had her skating backwards while her eyes were on him.

"You're not a stranger to the sport." He called out.

Caroline shook her head with a smile. "When I was ten or so I wanted to do this for a living but then I discovered that I liked drawing more than skating…" She prepared to do a tighter circle on a corner of the rink. "Still I never forget how much I loved doing this." Once she had that done she gave it a little speed to the turn creating a really fast spin that lasted a few seconds.

She was breathtaking to watch and he thought that she looked just like a princess sliding across the ice. "I was right to guess then that your merriment over the snow yesterday was connected to a childhood sport of some sort."

She made a little break with her skate as she neared him. "I was a lot happier about what was happening under the snow."

He smiled smugly as he couldn't stop it. "I wasn't too off the mark in anything then."

She skated closer to the rail where he was standing. "Skating is all about keeping balance and knowing how to make your body light and using speed to move." She did a few spins that were faster than the previous ones. "Being a vampire helps with that." She prepared for a jump and when she nailed it perfectly she giggled.

He was going to point out that she was showing-off but Caroline came closer to him with a disarming smile.

"Skillful abilities help a lot with coordination and processing something that my body already knows but it doesn't give me the coolness of reading someone's mind." She stopped with a sliding brake just in front of him. "Which you seem to do a lot."

"It's not entirely intentional." He wasn't happy if that was making her uneasy.

"I guess it's not really mind reading, it's more like paying infinite attention to the tiniest of my sighs or my smiles and little words." She looked at him thoughtful.

"I would call it being entirely rapt with fascination."

Caroline neared to the rail, stopping only when she was far too close to him but she wanted to make the giant location somewhat smaller. "I'm really just a simple girl with a small background and a big baggage."

"There's nothing simple about you sweetheart." He noted with a smile.

She leaned her head forward, it was a way to fully take in his smell which she had come to realize that she adored. "Two out of three." She smiled pulling away from him and starting another twirling routine.

He had a small laugh and rested his elbows on the rail watching the show peacefully, seeing her so carefree was like taking a weight from his soul, she was a soothing balance to his brutal reality, he was a man who inflicted fear with his presence but when he was around Caroline he couldn't be anything else but protective.

"What are you thinking?" She asked him from the middle of the rink.

Klaus had this cute little fluster moment and looked down with a smile that only came after he licked his lips.

"I want to know…" She reached him fast, so much that she bumped into the rail.

Before she bounced back Klaus took hold of her with an embrace that had her secured in his arms. "That I'm not exactly baggage-free myself."

Softly she let go in his arms. "You're perfect." She smiled at ease.

Klaus touched her forehead with his for a few moments. "Oh… _sweetheart_."

He obviously struggled with a slip that would have been voiced all too naturally for him and Caroline's breath gave her away, she was about to swoon although he replaced the endearing name with something more mundane at the last second.

"I want to kiss you Caroline." He was at least outspoken about that.

"I would like that a lot." She left her lips at his reach and completely answered back when he pressed her lips.

Compared to their first kiss it was a longer share of heat and a bigger pressure of lips that lasted more as well, she wasn't in a hurry to break away and he was being kind to her, he was just passionate enough without pressing for a full kiss, logically his protection extended to each and every limit that Caroline had.

* * *

It was the third time that Rebekah read the message but it was like reading something over and over until the words lost meaning and she only put her phone away because Matt was returning with Davina from a trip to the bathroom inside of a bar located in a dusty place in the middle of literally nowhere and she genuinely felt bad for the human because the location seemed as dirty as Davina's discontent face showed.

Still the little annoying brat decided that she found Matt a much more friendly kidnapper and preferred to be handled by him instead of Rebekah, it wasn't something that would affect Rebekah that greatly and she sort of understood the girl's preference, after all Matt was polite and told her to watch her head while she scooped back into her back seat.

Rebekah rolled her eyes perhaps too unconsciously which was a treat for Matt. "She's not going to last for much longer without sleeping on a proper bed…" He checked the map on his phone. "There's a small hotel two hours away and we should make a stop there."

"I need to get back as fast as I can." Rebekah declined his offer with a shake of her head. "Kol caught Marcel and he's bringing him back."

"Do you need to be there when they burn his body?" Matt quickly confronted her with a bit of a mocking tone.

"I would certainly love to be the one holding the match." She tried to be as fast as he had but she lost speed when her phone vibrated with another message.

"He already got away?" Matt wondered about her expression.

Annoyed Rebekah dropped her phone on top of the hood where she was seated. "Kol is only leaving tomorrow."

Now Matt knew why he liked that particular Mikaelson so much. "We're going to stay the night at the hotel and I'm driving." He rushed around the car to take the wheel.

"Why is her beauty sleep so vital out of thin air?" Rebekah asked with a look back at him.

From inside of the car he answered with a smile. "My obscure intentions are all based on my plan to seduce you and to have an entire night of sex with you."

Rebekah slid down the hood with a groan. "You're my best soldier Matt, can't you just stick to your guns and leave your fantasies locked away in the dark corners of your mind?" She closed her door with a huff. "I've had some really good news today and I would love to keep the momentum going."

"I could say yes but I would be lying." He simply replied.

Davina threw her head back to rest it on the seat and to stare at a cream roof. "You two should just rip each other's clothes and go at it like savages. If you did it I would finally stop listening to all this sex talk."

Matt smirked at Rebekah. "Even the hostage knows how predestined we are to do this."

"You need to start driving before I send you back to the others and ask for someone to replace you." She warned him with a pointy eyebrow.

"Nah…" He chuckled richly. "You find me too adorable."

"Borderline insolent." She clarified but without maintaining a harsh tone.

She actually crumbled into a laughter which only made him grin.

* * *

Although he adored the skating show Klaus had to step a bit aside to conduct a few calls and to inquire about the hunt that was happening in Aya's name, it was during that last call that Caroline joined his side, she had exchanged her skates for her ballerina shoes and she had a warm smile for him.

"You look taken by something." She tried to know the reason behind his tense look.

"One of the vampires that killed Aya's daughter escaped."

"If you need to go back to the Brotherhood house I'll go with you, that way I get to spend some time with Sage while you rile up the troops." She waved her fists in encouragement.

"They are trained assassins and I expect them to sort out a solution before I arrive ready to express my frustration." Artfully he smiled. "It's in their best interest that I don't return just yet ."

Caroline wrinkled her nose. "Another hour that we waste is another hour that Aya doesn't get piece."

"You're full of arguments." He grumbled in an ill-manor.

Caroline laughed in a soft way. "You had a big date-day planned, didn't you?"

He answered with a heavy grunt. "I arranged for an exclusive tour at the _Legion of Honor_."

"And I love the museum very much but today I rather have a walk on the aisles of your headquarters."

"Instead of visiting the exact location where they filmed Jimmy Stewart spying on Kim Novak?" He was appalled.

She smiled wondering why he hadn't playfully wiggled his eyebrows as well. "We can watch _Vertigo_ later if you want to but right now you have leader things to do." She ended with a cute serious nod.

His endeared look lasted for a while, it was a new nuance of Caroline's character that he was uncovering today and he was excited to get more of that spirit.

* * *

It was a heavy wake up for Elijah, it never was a good feeling to die and it was a far less enjoyable one to come back to life with a splitting headache and a sore chest, he had a small group around him and from it he recognized no one but when they parted ways for a tall slender black man it was clear to him that he was about to meet the leader of the squad.

"I never even thought that a proud moment such as this would come under such circumstances." The man ordered everyone to give Elijah more room to breathe. "I'm the owner of this hotel and I'm honored by your visit."

Elijah was still in the same hotel room where he had been _pierced_. "On a leap I'm assuming that the triggered death was not meant for me."

Papa Tunde nodded to evict the room and sat across the seat that Elijah was occupying. "I knew that Katherine would come back sooner or later, she's audacious like that."

"She has something of yours." Elijah tried to measure the other man's grudge.

"A valuable item that she refuses to give back."

"She likes keeping things that aren't hers to keep." Elijah looked down on his shirt, he wasn't presentable and he had to change from his bloodied clothes.

"I'll get her the next time." Papa Tunde stood up with a respectful tiny lowering of his chin. "As for what you came here for…" He pointed at something that was wrapped in a towel and lying on top of the coffee table. "I have replaced the stakes that she had on the safe with fake ones."

Elijah moved the fabric to reveal his present.

"The Brotherhood is always welcomed in my hotel." Papa Tunde was hoping that the gift would hide the fact that he actually attacked one of them.

Elijah broke one of the stakes in two, the tiniest splinter fell on the table and he rubbed his finger over it, when it didn't start burning his skin Elijah looked at the other man.

"I swear that those were the ones I found inside of the safe." Papa Tunde immediately gulped down.

"To be tricked by Katherine once is on her but to be tricked twice is on us."

"I can find her." The warlock said determined and ready to take action.

"You can sit down and tell me everything that you know about Katherine."

Papa Tunde had the strangest flash, like a memory creeping in unwillingly. "I can make a location spell..." He rubbed his left temple.

"As much as you could hex her." Elijah brought the fake white stakes to the mantel where he started a fire to destroy them. "She was a former witch and with that I have a hunch that she has protected herself."

The other man had a bigger flash of images that left him dizzy, in all of his wisdom he had no idea what was happening until he recalled that he was in the presence of an Original.

"I seldom resolve my matters without using torture but giving you the sensation that you are losing sight is something that I can live with."

Papa Tunde knelt in pain. "You haven't even touched me."

"I can make you think that I did." Elijah stood in front of the man with his hands inside of his pockets. "Try to be concise because time is important." He gave the man the illusion that he was digging his eyes out.

* * *

"Are you sure that this is the right time to pursue this?" Finn couldn't even count how many magazines rested over the table, not to mention that Sage actually had a white board ready to be used.

"Kol and Bonnie are coming back with Marcel as a prisoner, that's one matter that was dealt with and now Kol told me to prepare an unforgettable day for Bonnie, he wants her to have the perfect wedding day and I have less than four weeks to organize it."

Finn inched closer for a kiss. "Where there's a Mikaelson there's a will." He gave her a serious look. "Still try to remember that Bonnie is the bride…" He softly mused.

"She is going to choose the stylist and the wedding dress, and I'll obviously ask her opinion about everything before I make any major decisions." She padded Finn's chest. "While you prepare Marcel's quarters for his dismemberment I will create my _mood_ _board_ for the festivities."

"I'm on my way out since I can't tell a carnation from a tulip." He kissed her again. "But I leave you with the best help in all the kingdoms." He smiled hearing Caroline approaching the vast study room.

"I love flowers." Caroline arrived with a big enthusiastic smile just as Finn left.

Excitedly Sage clasped her hands together. "We have so much to do, the wedding date is set a month from today and we have to think about the location, the flowers and what everyone will wear."

"What flowers does Bonnie like?" Caroline started to have a better look at a magazine with floral arrangements.

"I'm assuming that she won't be very supportive of Champagne roses."

"I can do a dossier for her…" Caroline started to visualize it in her mind. "With a lot of flower choices and the decoration in case she chooses to have the wedding in the garden." She looked at Sage. "I can also draw a few cake options after I talk to her and find out what she wants."

"It's very titillating to see you so lively." Sage focused on a magazine.

Sweetly Caroline made the bridge to what she was dying to tell Sage. "There was an exciting lip-lock yesterday…"

"I know!" Sage dropped her magazine entirely. "Finn had to drag me away from the window because I was gawking."

Caroline laughed imagining it clearly.

"The two of you looked so ethereal, under the falling snow…" Sage tilted her head enamored and with a bit of a sigh.

"I liked kissing him." Caroline shared. "It felt honest."

"It's quite funny how something that is so seldom taken as granted can make such a difference." Sage responded thoughtful. "I have such a strong connection to Finn that I foolishly forget that not all men are sincere when they choose to show a vulnerable side of themselves."

"Was it really love at first sight between the two of you?" Caroline asked curious.

"I hated him in the beginning." Sage confessed. "He was part of a ship crew and he used to stay away at sea for months and moths, whenever he was back on land I was annoyed and I hated how we always bumped into each other in the market. Then the years started passing and he became the leader of a _knarr_ and I started to realize how I would count the moons for his return from the sea so that I could hate bumping into him in the market." She giggled. "So in a way I think that I always had a world of feelings for him."

Caroline lowered her voice as she aimed at a more delicate question. "You come off so maternal to me and the other day I was wondering if you were turned before you could be a mother or if you chose not to be one?"

Sage's constant glow faded the tiniest as the subject touched her in a different way. "Within our first year together I had a miscarriage and I couldn't find the courage to risk going through that pain again, as for Finn he was just supportive of whatever choice I made so I decided to become a vampire and to leave that possibility behind."

"I'm so sorry Sage." Caroline felt bad for touching such a deep wound.

Sage touched the corner of her eye to stop any furtive tear and smiled at the Caroline. "I had my work cut out for me either way, Kol and Rebekah were a handful from the second I joined this family, and Elijah and Niklaus are the very definition of complex so that was always something that kept me busy. That and food of course." She explained the major reason behind her passion.

"I wonder if they know how really lucky they all are."

"I remind them quite often of it." Sage started to look at a few pictures of flower crowns. "Like your smooching partner who likes to pretend that his mess is organized and that he can find a single thing in that office of his."

Caroline was looking at bridesmaid gowns. "I had to clean and put some order into that mess but I bet that today the clutter is back."

"That one just needs a Shellan to keep him in line."

Caroline looked up at a subtly grinning Sage.

Sage laughed when Caroline narrowed her eyes at her. "But a Shellan at a time, right now we have to focus on Bonnie." She took the marker and walked over to the board where she started writing down in topics everything that they had to do.

"I'm sorry to interrupt the ladies." Naoki greeted them from the door, respectfully inclining his head forward as they faced him, Caroline was the one with the bigger smile for him and it was for her that he was here. "Klaus asks if you can join us in the office."

"No problem." Caroline glanced at Sage before she left with Naoki.

Sage stopped her notes with a stun enveloping her, Klaus bringing someone outside of the Brotherhood into one of his meetings was an unforeseen happening.

Klaus was in the office with a girl that Caroline had seen in the house before, she didn't know her name but she knew that she was important.

"Caroline, this is Mai." Klaus made the introduction. "She's my most valiant soldier and she was in charge of capturing Mohinder's crew."

Caroline smiled at the girl, she had a natural beauty but also a strength that was visible by the way that she stood in the office, she was confident and she really looked ready to start a fight that she would win for sure.

Mai smiled back at Caroline. "My work is not over yet, I still have one last deject to kill."

"We had them cornered but Mohinder stepped in, during the fight his sired vampire escaped." Naoki informed Caroline.

"Did you kill Mohinder?" Caroline asked Naoki.

He looked at Klaus which made Caroline follow his line of sight.

Klaus chuckled amused. "I'm waiting for him to bite me so they were instructed not to harm him."

"You want to fight him?" Caroline made an effort not to lower her voice in worry.

Klaus smelled a glass to make sure that it was clean. "Most ardently."

Caroline looked at Naoki.

"He has a penchant for challenging fights." Naoki said in a sigh.

"I also have a fight to end." Mai was far from giving up. "And I need to leave again to find _Darren_." She pronounced his name nauseated.

"Is there a valuable lead?" Klaus got ready to enjoy a bit of bourbon.

Mai nodded. "I placed a tracker on his car and I've punctured the fuel deposit." She showed Klaus her phone. "I've arranged for an accident just at the end of the bridge so it's going to take him at least another hour to cross the Golden Gate, if I can get to the first gas station after the bridge before he does, I can kill him then."

"Arriving before he does shouldn't be a problem for someone who drives a motorcycle so well but by now he knows and is expecting you." Klaus poked the only flaw in her plan.

Disheartened Mai lowered her shoulders.

"He doesn't know me." Caroline softly made herself heard.

Klaus gulped down the alcohol imagining that he had misunderstood her.

But Caroline pushed on. "He won't be expecting me and I can keep him distracted enough for Mai to do her thing." She easily explained the part that she could take in the new plan.

"You should leave at once if you intend to be successful." Naoki prudently gave the girls a green light.

Quickly they left, one excited that she had a good plan and the other excited that she was going to help.

"I wanted Caroline to meet the Brotherhood, not for her to make errands for it." Klaus dropped his glass upset that Naoki instigated her adventure.

"You shouldn't ask a dragon to light up a candle without expecting to have your hand burnt from it." Naoki turned away with a smile.

Unhappy Klaus refilled the glass with bourbon, some days he couldn't stand Naoki's wise-mouth.

* * *

Stuck in a traffic block for two straight hours, running down on gas and with a sting on his throat Darren was in a bad mood, he pulled over to the small road place scratching over the place where Mai had cut him with a knife, the little bitch really had a taste of his blood but luckily for her Mohinder showed up in time to save her fine ass.

Darren spit on the floor, Mohinder was wrong to send him away like a dog, he wasn't afraid of Klaus' hounds and he should just turn back and avenge the death of his friends.

The thought gained weight and Darren decided to check the diner, it looked empty judging by the parking lot and he could use the snack, the blonde fixing up the tables only made him smile hugely.

"Those are some really long legs." He admired her happy that they were all alone.

"I just made a pot of fresh coffee." Caroline smiled at the man sitting at a table that she just cleaned. "Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?"

"You have all of my interest." His smile was as sly as his wandering eyes.

Always smiling Caroline poured steamy hot coffee into a big mug. "Are you leaving San Francisco or going back to it?"

"I haven't decided yet." He attentively watched as the cute uniform hugged her body so well and how the red scarf matched the fiery red that she had on her lips. "What's your name gorgeous?" He couldn't find a tag with her name but he kept his eyes on her big breasts.

"Caroline." She answered with a bit of a seductive tone.

"Why don't you sit down and have a cup of coffee with me Caroline?"

"I'm not allowed to fraternize during my shift." She maintained a professional denotation.

Darren laughed. "You like reading magazines with big words, huh?"

"It's like you know me." She had a tiny gasp.

He laughed again. "You're really cute… I like cute girls with cute names."

Caroline smiled while struggling to keep her repulse hidden.

"I just lost my _Leeland_ and I'm on the scout for a new one." Darren prized Caroline like she was a raw dish being served on a platter.

"And what's that?" Caroline played naive.

He licked his lips. "A steady _bed and breakfast_."

Caroline's hand tightened around the handle of the coffee pot. "It's _Leelan_ and you're despicable." She smashed the pot on his face.

Darren screamed with a burning face but as he leaped at Caroline he was swiftly knocked out by Mai who snapped his neck.

"I hate when rats distort culture like that." She picked up a knife and held Darren's head up by grabbing his hair.

Caroline stopped her before she sliced his neck. "I think that Aya would like to do that herself."

Mai looked up inquisitive.

"She's a mother and she needs closure so she should decide if she wants to be the one who gets to end that sad excuse of existence." Caroline cleaned her hands smeared with coffee on a towel.

"I will tell Aya that it is an offering from the Brotherhood." Mai injected Darren with vervain to keep him unconscious, then she looked at Caroline pleased with the new girl in the ranks.

* * *

After leaving Davina in her room Rebekah met with Matt in the hotel's small pool. "Wonder girl is sleeping." She sat next to him and took off her shoes so that she could splash her feet on the blue water, it was surprisingly a good hotel and the water was crystal clean.

"Hopefully she sleeps all night." Matt liked that they had a little time alone again.

"If not I had a very supportive conversation with her." Rebekah circled her feet soaked in water. "I told her that if she decided to be brave I would rip her spine out while she was conscious."

"I think that you would do that just to slow us down." Matt gave his opinion with a shrug.

"How do you see that?"

Matt smiled. "You said earlier that you wanted to hurry back but we're driving home instead of taking a quick flight back." He cocked his eyebrow. "You're stalling because you don't want to see Marcel again."

"How would you like to lose all of your teeth?" She simply asked with a deadly stare.

He laughed. "It's inevitable that you will see your old fling but you could use me to forget about him while we are on the road, out of sight and all."

"We have a hostage." She looked up as Matt stood on the edge of the pool.

He started to take his shirt off. "You make too many objections for something so simple."

"There's nothing simple about sex Matt."

He dropped the shirt and jumped into the pool, he stayed immersed for a few seconds before he came up to face her with water dripping from his head and bare chest. "So you're not going to join me?"

Rebekah stood and slowly turned away from him, the temptation was there but she was smart enough to walk away, although she sneaked a look at him while she was going up to the rooms.

* * *

"Do you bring back a sword dripping of blood?"

Caroline smiled at the question, it made sense since she was walking into the Temple where Klaus was entertained with a variety of cutting weapons. "We spared him for Aya." She tapped her way lightly across the casings on her left. "What are you doing?"

Klaus decided between two very pointy daggers and while he returned one to the glass stand behind him he left his choice on the table where he already had a big armament. "I'm preparing the arrival of our incoming guest."

Machetes, bats, hunting knifes and stuff that she clearly knew that was used in torture made Caroline frown. "I'm going to avoid coming to the house for the next few days, if you don't mind…"

He instantly searched for her eyes. "I will miss you."

Slightly she tilted her head. "We can meet wherever you want, just not here."

"My point still stands."

"Mine as well." She stood by her choice.

"Marcel's capture has left everyone in an upheaval. Small outburst of violence have spread out in Saint Petersburg and I expect the same to happen as soon as Kol returns with Marcel."

"Mai told me that Kol delayed his return for a day because he wanted to take back control of the city first."

Klaus warmly smiled. "Kol is the better fighter of us all but also the proudest, he's not willing to leave his cherished city without cleaning it first."

"What's the reason behind Kol's strong connection to Russia?" She asked while having a small walk around the room.

Naturally Klaus followed her with his blue pearls. "By now you've noticed that we've all found an inclination towards a certain culture or mentality, and we have roots in all of them. Rebekah still has a valuable presence in the Chinese Triad and Finn's connection to the Italian web of crime is as important as Elijah's umbilical attachment to politics, for Kol it was all about the raw fighting brutality of Russian lords, he fell in love with the organization and gut-wrenching way of fighting for what is ours."

"Everyone has a dirty hand on something dirtier." Caroline stopped near his sword. "But you're the leader and I'm not convinced that you only branched out to Japan."

He left his side of the room and approached her with a smile. "I'm the middleman."

She squinted a bit, that didn't sound as opulent as she anticipated.

"If someone has a problem they speak to me and I will decide if the Brotherhood will help them or not, depending on the location and how it will suit me better I give the assignment to one of my siblings. Usually petty small nests are resolved between them and my intervention isn't necessary but still everything goes through me."

"At the Mayor's party…" She moved her eyes to the sword. "You were there to buy guns…"

"For us and for two gangs in Mexico that wanted to kill each other."

Heavily she looked up at him. "A sponsored gang fight is what saved me?"

His breath left him in a soothing way that matched the smile. "In exchange for the arms they gave me access to a vampire nest that was abducting girls and selling them as blood-slaves."

"It only gets worst every time that I learn more about the world…" She sighed. "There are so many women getting hurt out there and I thought that my dungeon was horrible." She looked up when she felt this amazing soft touch under her chin, it was a world of difference from how Damon touched her and she looked at Klaus vulnerable because of that.

His hand was still soft as he moved it across her cheek. "We level the scales whenever it's possible."

Still vulnerable Caroline leaned her face against his palm, she couldn't be that broken if his warmth and his touch was so inviting that she searched for it instead of sustaining it and Caroline's hope skyrocketed, this would be her starting point to something more substantial with Klaus.

"You were out today leveling on your own." He commented as his fingers started to test her limit.

The second he brushed the side of her neck a whirlwind of sensations, such as Damon chocking her, came to mind and Caroline looked down recoiling the tiniest to his touch. "I was happy to help." She said lower than she wished.

Klaus' hand returned to her face. "You need to tell me when you're not comfortable with something Caroline."

She looked at him regretful that they were actually having this conversation. "Two seconds ago things were looking very promising in my head."

"I had my goal set on a smile and your company, if touching you will make me lose that I won't insist on that. I expect many triggers and I'm willing to give you adjustment space but I can't do it if you keep silent about what makes your skin crawl in trial."

"The possibility that you would wrap your hand around my neck pushed me into a bad place in my head." She recognized. "It doesn't mean that I don't like how you touch me and how you kiss me." She crooked out a smile hoping that he would act on that tiny bit.

He moved his lips to occupy hers with small kisses that were gradually prolonged as she pressed his lips harder, his hands were away from her body but he was really close to her, Caroline was wrapped in heat and a portion of that came from inside of her as well, she loved how soft and round his lips were and with a voluntary wish she peeked the tip of her tongue lightly touching his lips.

Klaus didn't rush anything, he let her set the pace and how she wanted to do this, he parted his lips but waited for her decision, only moving his tongue to meet hers when she looked for it.

It was a slow encounter and a soft brush of tongues, Caroline was comfortable with was happening between their mouths but she had no clue what to do with her hands, she was about to touch his chest but old habits were wining and she kept a distance between them, that didn't match the kiss because Klaus was different, everything was different.

She stopped the kiss with too many things in her mind but she smiled as Klaus kissed the corner of her mouth and her cheek next, it had been an amazing kiss but she ruined it from being perfect and with a grunt she leaned against him ready to bury her head in his chest.

Klaus soothed her back with his hand. "Sweetheart?"

Caroline grunted harder, she ruined it and he was still being picture-perfect. "I want to touch you but I was trained not to touch Damon." She looked up steadfast on getting this out of her chest. "He didn't like being touched and if I wasn't tied up and touched him during sex he would punish me so right now you're being this amazing and unselfishly kissing me and instead of appreciating that I'm thinking that I don't know what to do with my hands." She brought them up with emphasis.

Without a word but with a smile dancing in the air Klaus took her hands and placed them on his chest. "That's a good start."

Baffled by his boyish simplicity Caroline cracked into a laugh, she shook her head next while laughing in a bubble way. "I don't know if you're making fun of me now."

"I'm being helpful." He brought her closer by circling his arms around her in a sheltering way.

Caroline fell into a safe niche. "If this is only for a kiss… I don't know how I will react to the rest." She crumbled her lips a bit. "Or when I will be ready for it."

"Eternity is our ally."

"Are you saying that just because it sounds pretty?"

That crook way of his to smile while showing his dimples was back. "I'm confident enough to know what I want."

Her eyes absorbed all the blue in his. "And what do you want Klaus?"

"To have you in my world."

"Well… I saw your Persephone painting in the library and I thought that it was curious how I was a guest in your world as well and that my first meal in here was fruit."

He wasn't cocky about his art so he was nurturing a curving smile on his lips that touched the coy side of his personality. "What's your interpretation of that painting?"

"That Persephone is a kickass goddess who plays with flowers and doesn't take crap from anyone, not even from a death lord. She's worshipped but she's also feared. That's respect and she has that from Hades and from everyone around him."

"Such as warriors that work for him?" He squinted bringing to a circle a few of her actions.

In a slow motion of her eyes she held his attention and unleashed this flame of fire that she had inside of her, it wasn't a glimpse anymore of what she could be, it was the acceptance that she wanted back what was stolen from her and she was owning up to that wish. "Whoever you introduce me to will show courtesy because of you but I want to earn my own respect."

He smiled gazing at her perfection. "The strongest light in a sphere of dark..."

She melted against his strong body. "Yeah, those blonde curls of yours really brought some sunlight into my life."

With an easy flow between them Klaus chuckled. "I was favored by the gods."

She agreed to that by giving him a slow peck on the lips. "And I want to look good next to you so I'm going home to change and I will be back for dinner."

"It's Gloria's night to perform so we could get away while Sage is distracted and swing by the club."

She liked the idea of that. "We have a late date then." She started to pull away from him.

"You know…" He said before she reached the door. "In ancient mythology, to eat the fruit of one's captor meant that one would have to return to that captor or country so you had that right but your first tasting in this house was my blood."

"There's nothing simple about me Klaus." She used his words on point. "And I come and go as I please." She dropped her statement nailing the strength and the fire that she was clawing her way into and she walked away proud that she had control over that moment.

Klaus broke into a small enchanted laugh, she was chipping off those broken edges and showing who she really was.

* * *

**Saint Petersburg**

They could hear the fight outside, it was messy and loud and the screams from the other side of the door were coming as fast as the jittery hands in here were checking for ammunition.

"I'm out of bullets." Someone mumbled.

There was another big rumble, clearly the fight was having a second round in the lobby and the man nearest the elevator panel started pushing every button repeatedly, any floor would be good as long as the elevator moved but for some reason they were stuck without moving while a thud was heard just above their heads.

"They're on top of us." Another man said and started to empty his gun against the roof of the elevator.

When he was done there was a lot of smoke inside of the elevator but the heavy footsteps on top of them continued until the roof gave in to reveal Jackson smiling down on them, still that wasn't troubling enough as hearing the little bell sound of the elevator door opening.

As they all turned around they saw Kol standing by the door, he was all smeared with the blood of the twenty something men he slaughtered, drops of it were still running from his hand down to the axe that he was holding and from that to the floor there was a small pool of blood forming.

The men stepped back inside of the tiny elevator, it was too small to hide from a menacing Kol who smirked, face covered in blood and will to kill the ten men remaining from this lot.

* * *

Caroline was done curling her hair, the makeup was also finished so she only had to slip into a white and blue flowery dress to be ready, she was just picking up her shoes when there was a knock on her door. "Just a second." She yelled from her bedroom, she knew that Gloria had to leave to the club but she wanted to pick Dickens on her way to her car, quickly she grabbed her keys and her clutch and hurried to the door.

She opened it with a big beaming attitude but her world cave in and the ground shook under her feet, her heart plummeted to an abyss when instead of finding Gloria at her doorstep she found Stefan.

"Hi Caroline." Stefan smiled at her. "It's good to see you alive."

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

Castle in the snow – _Kadebostany_

Do you no wrong – _Richie Campbell_

Take me home – _Jess Glynne_

Run boy run – _Woodkid_


	15. The art of tradition

_I wore this frock coat to Washington before The War. We wore them because we belonged to the five civilized tribes. We dressed ourselves up like Abraham Lincoln._

_You know, we got to see the Secretary of the Interior. And he said, "Boy, you boys sure look civilized."_

_He congratulated us and he gave us medals for looking so civilized._

_We told him about how our land had been stolen and how our people were dying. When we finished he shook our hands and said, "endeavor to persevere!"_

_They stood us in a line: John Jumper, Chili McIntosh, Buffalo Hump, Jim Buckmark, and me — I am Lone Watie. They took our pictures. And the newspapers said, "Indians vow to endeavor to persevere."_

_We thought about for a long time. "Endeavor to persevere." And when we had thought about it long enough, we declared war on the Union._

**The outlaw Josey Wales **

* * *

"Stefan…" Caroline's voice was as heavy as her heart, this was a meeting that was yanked by iron from the deepest place of fear inside of her, being face to face with him was a jarring throw into the pits of a hell that she was trying to crawl out.

"You don't look happy to see me." He brazenly stood with his hands hidden inside of the pockets of his leather jacket.

Caroline swallowed down hard, her mouth was dry and she could barely breathe with even intervals. "Why are you here Stefan?"

He smiled taking his hands from where they had been. "Isn't it obvious?" He rested his hands on each side of her doorframe. "No one is giving me answers but you were there that night so you can tell me how Damon died."

"It all happened so fast Stefan…" She was at least honest about that, truthfully it was all a big daze if she went back to the replay of that night.

"Not fast enough for me." He really wanted answers and motioned forward, as the magic protecting her house stopped him any further he let out a small sigh. "Invite me inside Caroline."

She shook her head. "I can't."

"We're friends Caroline." He insisted on using her name as a way to create a small comfort zone.

Caroline reacted by taking a step back into the safety of her home. "That's not what you're thinking right now."

"Why did Klaus kill my brother?"

The neutral tone in his voice was deceiving and Caroline had the discernment to spot it. "He's dead Stefan and there's nothing we can do about it."

"You're not particularly mourning him." Stefan accused her further by lowering his eyes to her colorful choice of a dress.

"I'm not his pet anymore." Caroline bravely found her firm voice. "And after years of torment I find it really hard to cry for the death of my abuser."

The way that she chose to speak about Damon left Stefan heated, he started to rock his body the tiniest, if that supernatural barrier faulted he was ready to pounce at Caroline. "Instead you're living in a house that belongs to Klaus so maybe my father was right and you're in this from the start." He leaned forward the narrowest of margins. "It could be the case that you've had a different _handler_ from the start."

Caroline was not going to take his malice. "I want you to leave."

He slammed his palm against the frame of her door. "Why did Klaus targeted my family?"

Caroline's flinch was only visible in her eyes that twitched in scare but Stefan's response arrived with Gloria.

"What a wonderful question to ask Klaus himself." She walked up the stairs with Dickens in her arms. "But since he's not here you should leave like Caroline asked you to."

Stefan turned his head to look at the witch. "You're in this as well?"

"I'm an independent practicer of magic and the Council doesn't have a thing to say about what I do."

Stefan faced Caroline again. "I didn't come here to hurt you Caroline but you need to decide if you have something to tell me or not."

Caroline lifted her head preparing to speak clearly. "I have nothing else to say to you."

It was her final word and Stefan left with that, as he raced away in his car Caroline stepped out of the house with a clenched heart, she took Dickens noticing how Gloria was keeping an eye on the red car.

"Independent or not, it's not a good idea to blow up Stefan." Caroline said.

Gloria laughed. "Because he named himself _King of the Dejects_?"

"His family was always an important household name but now he leads the dejects."

"Sweetie… the Council is an illusion of power, Klaus could easily set them all on fire in the morning and replace them with his vampires by night."

Caroline cuddled her cat closer, she hid her hand in his fur as she spoke. "Stefan keeps a diary full names of people he killed during one of his breakdowns. Damon said more than once that if Stefan lost his control he was the one to fear."

"Are you scared for Klaus?" Gloria smiled. "Stefan is not strong enough to bother Klaus and Klaus hasn't publicly announced that he was the one responsible for Damon's demise because of your safety."

"Are you going to tell him that Stefan paid me a visit?"

"You know that I have to." Gloria explained.

Reluctant Caroline smiled, she knew that.

* * *

**Saint Petersburg**

The fire was still strong inside of the mantel so the bedroom was warm despite the harsh weather outside, so much that Bonnie was only sleeping with a tank-top and boxers, there was the tiniest sinking of the mattress just next to her which meant that she wasn't alone in bed anymore and his familiar scent made her smile even before he wrapped an arm around her. "You smell nice." Bonnie turned her head searching for a kiss.

His hair was still dripping from the shower. "Water washes blood brilliantly." He cupped her cheek while kissing her lips.

She kissed him with the words fading from her conscience, her relationship with Kol wasn't sugarcoated at all, she had been alert to what he was from the start, she was never with him to change him but to share her life with him.

Like her Kol had a gift but while she was good at using magic he was really skilled at killing people, it should put her off but she also knew who exactly he targeted and it was hard to find compassion for vampires who had no regard for human life whatsoever.

"I've secured the city so tomorrow we're returning to San Francisco." He quietly told her, he rather stay here in his paradise with her but Bonnie was steadfast on going back home and there was no way to stop her.

Bonnie smiled with a hand that glided from his neck to his chest and pressed his lips for another kiss, then there was that aspect of Kol, with him she had only known happiness and love. "With Marcel finally under wrap we can focus on our wedding."

"Be prepared for my overstepping and overbearing sister-in-law projecting her aisle fantasies left and right."

Nuzzled against him Bonnie laughed. "I have this image of arriving to your house and there's a man there who will take measures for a dress that I will only see on the day of my wedding…" She narrowed her eyes. "It's more like a premonition rather than an image."

"If you prefer we can stay here and only return after we are wedded."

With a small tease she gasped. "A rebel wedding without caring for tradition and Viking history?" She rested her hand over his heart. "No one would forgive us that offense."

He poked a lock of her hair as he stroked her cheek. "Twelve centuries from now we would still hear about it."

"I grew up without tradition, my father was always away and my mother is a really closed up woman, she doesn't like showing affection and I was always the kid that was locked up in her room experimenting with fire." Softly she smiled. "I don't have a lot of experience in this but I want to do right by your family and your heritage."

Kol kissed her enticed by her words, as the soft touching of lips became longer she rested on her back and glided her fingers along his hair, he wasn't wearing a shirt so when she lowered her hand she was able to caress his skin further, just as their lips parted and the kiss intensified for both.

"Still tradition has its issues…" He murmured against the lips that he tasted with the tip of his tongue.

After a small inner moan Bonnie answered back. "Are you talking about that part of tradition that says that the bride can't see the groom during the weeks anticipating the wedding?" She rasped her teeth against his lower lip.

"In the old times the bride wasn't allowed to leave her parents' home until the morning of the ceremony, and during that time…" He licked his lips as Bonnie's hand drifted lower.

"Go on…" She whispered amused by his quick change of breath.

"She was educated by the older women on the arts of being a wife." He closed his eyes as Bonnie slid her hand inside of his briefs.

She kissed his neck. "Your sister is obsessed with this so she's totally going to forbid me to go near your bedroom." She made a small circle with her tongue.

This gush of thick air came out as she wrapped her hand around his sex, her tongue against his neck was doing exactly what she usually did where she had her hand, she was making small lazy wet patterns that caused him to shiver, in the meantime her thumb was rubbing that sensitive tip and after a squeeze she moved her hand up and down once before she pulled her hand out of his briefs.

It was mean and Kol kissed her roughly, he had a massive erection and a tiny teaser that pushed her tongue against his in a thrusting motion, she was pressing her body against his and messing with his hair so the kisses easily surpassed one another in heat.

In a sinful dither from her mouth Kol focused on her neck and kissed her there, he sucked her skin just above this important vein before lowering to her throat where he kissed her lovingly.

Bonnie scratched his shoulder with a fever for more of him.

Kol lifted his head to look at her. "How do you want to do this darling?"

She smiled at him, they were very comfortable with each other and also outspoken about what they wanted whenever they were intimate. "I want to sit on your lap." She kissed his lips before he hauled away from her.

Bonnie moved the sheet away from them and stripped down from her underwear, always with her eyes on him because Kol was a beautiful man and a big one that she freed by pulling his briefs down, she got on her knees and caressed him slowly while he sat in the middle of the bed.

Bonnie's hand was hard around his length and she stroked him a few times before she settled her hand still, then with a swift move she straddled him before guiding him inside of her.

As he slid inside of a soaking core Kol grabbed her waist, he knew that she was going to set the pace for them and have him as she wished but he had a small saying in that as well, once she found a soothing position on his lap he buckled his hips up to go deeper and with her first rocking motion he gripped her hard to keep her in place.

Bonnie dropped her head back a bit, he was so deep inside of her that she felt herself stretching but he wasn't moving so that meant that he was waiting for her, she rested her knees on the bed and motioned forward, her entire body reacted with a clench around him but Kol eased on his grip and his hands moved to her back, he supported her as she started to rock her hips to ride him slowly.

She was so wet and stretched that she was taking all of him and her body started to clash harder against his, he pulled her closer to kiss her and Bonnie wrapped her arms around him, they kissed slow and with tongues that barely touched at the tip.

He wasn't moving, he was only kissing her and caressing her through a tank-top that she was still wearing, it wasn't stopping him though from cupping her breasts and running his thumb over her nipples.

Bonnie let out this pleased guttural sound, she was close and her body looked for that release by quickening her hip action, she framed his cheek with her eyes right on his. "I love you."

"How much?" Kol asked her in a husky voice.

She moaned again as he kissed her damp neck. "So much…"

He rested his lips on her ear. "I love you more Leelan."

Her nails scrapped his shoulders and she started to slam against him, her breasts against his chest and her hips clashing hard with his, she heaved her body a bit to take him harder and faster, brushing her lips against his as she felt herself nearing a big orgasm that came just as a small cry left her.

Slumping a bit she moved backwards and Kol softly laid her on the bed, with the motion he slid out of her but firmly his palm was settled on her small back, lifting himself a bit and with his upper body going forward he filled her again.

"Are you going to come for me again Leelan?" He asked thrusting slowly into her.

Bonnie nodded but with her eyes on him. "Are you?" She asked him just as she curled her toes.

He rested a hand on each side of her body and kept his relentless rhythm, there was a thin layer of sweat starting to cover them and a panting sound as they gave in to the overwhelming desire that they felt for each other.

Bonnie arched her back far from the mattress as she succumbed to a shattering high, out of breath and succumbing to her as well Kol found his release inside of her but as quickly pulled her up to him.

Bonnie stroked his cheek and kissed him with a smile, she loved how tired he looked and how much he was able to pleasure her while making her feel so cherished.

"Are you all right?" He wrapped his arms around her protectively, in the back of his head there was always that thought that he could let his control slip for a second and hurt her by thrusting too hard or by holding her too tight.

She shushed his worries by kissing him, sometimes he gave her multiple orgasms without finding his own because he was too worried about her and that was something that Bonnie didn't like because his satisfaction was important as well, thankfully tonight that wasn't the case and she was happy that both had been blissfully undone.

With a yank Kol pulled the sheet from the bed and covered her with it, she was sweating and the sweet aftermath was making her shiver in contrast, Bonnie caught the ends of the sheet and covered him as well, while enclosing them in a peaceful haven she smiled at him.

"After we are married, will you call me Shellan while we make love?" She asked him curious.

"You are the keeper of my heart… I will call you wife until the day I become ash." He answered with love in his voice.

Bonnie rested her forehead against his, she was literally counting the days to become his Shellan.

* * *

Dinner was lost as Caroline would surely find Klaus as he raced to her house after Gloria's call so she decided to stay home and to wait for him, it was really a question of minutes between the time when she arranged for Dickens' dinner and Klaus impatient knock on her door.

"Hi!" She opened the door with an energetic smile.

"I'm going to dismember the Council." He quickly replied. "And I do mean that literally in case you were giving it a thought."

"I wasn't." Caroline stepped to the side so that he could storm inside.

He paced around troubled and kept glancing to the bedrooms like he was wondering if Stefan was hidden in there.

Caroline took her hands to the pockets of her dress. "Stefan couldn't get in because of the spell." She reminded him of the advantage that this house had.

"He wasn't counting on that so I'm assuming that he came here with a purpose."

She shrugged. "Whatever his intentions were it didn't work and I've had time to calm down… it was inevitable that I saw him again but at least now he knows that he can't get in here without being invited inside."

"I don't want you to stay here alone." Klaus stopped his frantic pacing back and forth.

"I share the house with Dickens." She cutely tilted her head.

However not all the cuteness in the world could move him now. "Stefan made his move with awareness, he knows how strict the rules are for those who are in my court."

"Stefan only looks at me as the girl that lived in the dungeon." She paced to Klaus. "Not as the girl living in your brother's house."

Klaus looked at her extremely serious. "He means nothing to us and his lineage can be easily narrowed down."

She took his hand with a softness in her eyes that countered his fury. "Stop…"

The inch that he faltered on his sheer command could be seen as insignificant but it still froze his comeback.

She used that breach to speak up. "I wasn't hurt so no one needs to get hurt."

"You're capable of showing compassion for a man who glorified his brother's actions by ignoring what was happening to you?"

She pressed her thumb against his hand wishing that he would close his hand around hers. "One of us needs to show compassion." She wasn't willing to let him go on another genocide.

Bewildered at first Klaus opened his mouth for what would have been a gasp but he would be unfair if he really thought that Caroline would have a reaction different from this one and he enclosed her hand within his. "If word gets out of this amity of yours, my impeccable reputation might suffer from it."

She smiled leading him to her bedroom and he followed silent to a room that was extremely simple in terms of decoration, the bed was seemingly untouched and it was obvious to Klaus that she only used the bedroom to paint.

The huge canvas was the standout and he alternated his stare between the imposing image of himself wearing a Samurai armor and the girl leaning against the frame of her door.

"I finished it yesterday." She said looking at nothing but him.

"It's moving…" He analyzed how red and raw the painting was, how his face was uncovered from armor but still full of blood, how his eyes showed a vulnerability that he wasn't used to share with anyone and how much detail she gave to the armor that was ornamented with only two symbols, the same that were engraved in his sword.

"Yes it is." She commented only on what was in her line of sight.

Klaus smiled knowing that she was fixated on him and turned his head to look at her. "I'm intrigued by the vision that you have of me."

"You move me." She used his own term but with a different nuance.

"How do you reckon so?"

Caroline pressed her tummy. "Whenever I know that I'm going to see you there's a knot in my stomach but it's not one caused by fear or the anxiety of not knowing what you will do… it's a good anticipation where I wonder when we will meet or how your dimples are going to show in a smile… what you will say to make my breathing slow down…" She rested her head against the wood with a sigh. "It's so good to feel that way again…"

The blue seemed to intensify in his eyes as he had a step to shorten the space between them. "Usually I cause fear and panic, and instead of saying my name with elation there are those who quaver and whisper it with terror."

"The way that I see you is very different from the way that you make me feel."

Between one another the space was now almost nonexistent and Klaus swept her cheek with a gentle touch, she also made him feel different from what he really was. "You're not solely a guest on my brother's house…"

"I won't be something else just to validate a bloodshed." She was candid with him.

"Is he really worthy of this?"

"No…" Caroline kept her honesty. "But I don't want to become a Leelan for the wrong reasons."

Klaus smiled enraptured. "Your warrant is accepted."

In the midst of all the power that she was emanating Caroline searched for his lips first and started a kiss that was long and close, she even felt less awkward about the position of her hands and while her mind was being reeducated she rested her hands on his shoulders, admiring just how strong he was.

* * *

The location was a warehouse that according to the signs should be a storage place for furniture but instead what Stefan found was a large number of vampires gathered around in an empty area that was turned into an urban arena, then right in the middle of a circle made of loud men two other were fighting each other.

Well, at least one of them was since the one at the end of Mohinder's fist was barely keeping his two feet on the ground.

Mohinder was a giant man with very dark and short hair, he was massively muscled and by the way that he was hitting the other man it looked like he was built of harsh steel, even though his opponent was fairly the same size he was no match to the violent ancient warrior.

The crowd watching the show parted for Stefan, he now had a privileged sight into the fight and pulled his head a bit back when Mohinder almost decapitated the other man with a thunderous punch, the weaker vampire vacillated but before he fell to the ground Mohinder held him enough to plummet his fangs into his neck.

The audience of the brutal show cheered and started chanting. "_Kill, kill, kill_!"

Mohinder smiled with blood dripping from his mouth, his opponent was already on the ground so he raised his arms relishing in the adoration chants and with a cold ruthless shine in his eyes he finished the other vampire by crushing his skull with his foot.

The rejoice surrounding Mohinder was deafening and Stefan was impressed by what he saw.

He didn't have to call for the other as Mohinder neared him curious by the presence. "I hope that you're not here to fight, I'd hate to kill the biggest supporter that we have right now." Someone handed him a shirt that he started to dress.

"You should save your energies for Klaus." Stefan suggested.

Mohinder closed the buttons of his shirt slowly. "I'm not in a hurry to fight with him."

"I'm willing to assist on that slow pursue."

"And your motivation behind this determination?"

"He went after my family."

Mohinder nodded, there was drive in the Salvatore. "I'm only going to tackle Klaus when I know that I can beat him."

Stefan looked at the ground where blood was mixed with bits of brain. "There's more than one way to defeat a man like Klaus." He looked at Mohinder again. "People tend to forget that he's a werewolf at heart and that wolves are easily wounded when you mess with their pack."

Mohinder's sturdy chest started to rock as he laughed loudly. "I'm going to enjoy this partnership."

Stefan reached out his hand for an official seal on that. "Let's hunt down a few wolves together."

* * *

"Good morning!" Caroline greeted everyone with a big smile, it was a sunny gorgeous day and she found everyone in the family room with invitation cards in their hands.

"We've been all invited to a social function at Aya's house." Sage showed her an invitation.

The cards now made sense and Caroline loved how classy they looked. "Will Kol and Bonnie arrive on time for the function?"

"Most likely they won't." Klaus handed her a card. "There's an invitation for you as well."

Stunned Caroline took the coral-colored card that had engravings made of golden letters. "She's inviting me for lunch."

"She wants to know the woman who gave her Darren as a gift." Klaus unravelled the small riddle.

She smiled with eyes locked on his and they shared this tiny moment where they weren't sure if they should have a small peck in front of everyone or not.

"We need to go shopping." Sage took Caroline's hand.

She left again unsure if there should be at least a peck between them and Klaus was left with somber thoughts as well, she was leaving as fast as she arrived but his brothers were gawking and he turned to face the piercing stares.

Elijah and Finn smirked with perfect timing.

"I would advise against any sort of comment." Klaus scoffed. "I don't have time to shut the both of you up as I have to choose a good suit." He turned away under a heavy laughter from his brothers.

* * *

"Sage…" Caroline had another quick glance around the opulent store. "I don't understand why we are looking at gowns to attend a function in the middle of the day."

Sage was already sold on a high-neck dress that was bare in the back. "A lunch gathering in our world means that we are going to drink champagne all afternoon and showcase our best look."

"So we're not going to sit around a huge table and eat fancy food?" Caroline was starting to worry.

"Aya is bouncing back after her loss and she's publicly showing her support to The Brotherhood so expect a lot of attention today."

Caroline widened her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Sage smiled at the girl standing very closely to her and she spoke respecting that privacy. "Tradition states that a meeting like this happens for two reasons… she's choosing a side and it's one that takes her away from the Council, the other reason…" she laughed. "Well… there are going to be a lot of our supporters there so see it as your overture because everyone will want to know the girl next to Klaus."

"That I can handle." Caroline relaxed, she was a master at disappearing during a party and she knew first hand that no one looked at the date if the man was important enough.

Sage knowingly kept quiet.

"I thought that it was something shocking like being introduced loudly or some weird Viking ritual where I had to prove myself or something." Caroline started looking at dresses, deciding on the spot that she wanted to wear pink.

* * *

Caroline held on to Klaus' arm strongly, she had underestimated what was waiting for her, Aya's mansion was like a palace that was dressed in gold and art, from the official welcoming at the door by two men in long coats to the wide corridor that led to the main lobby there was nothing but luxury and Caroline grew anxious.

Ok, maybe it wasn't the really lavish house that messed with her, it was the fact that she probably chose the wrong dress, instead of a long gown she decided on a cocktail organza pink dress that had a bustier made of tiny shining blue sequins that actually matched the royal blue of his shirt.

"I sense an erratic heartbeat coming up your sleeve." He whispered as they prepared to enter the grand room.

"I'm not wearing sleeves…" She whispered back. "And that's also the problem." She crunched her lips, the asymmetrical hem and keyhole racerback was a sassy twist on a tank dress but she was worried about the length of it as everyone else was wearing gowns that covered the ankle while her dress ended just above her knee.

"There's not a fault on sight." He assured her.

Caroline had a longer look at him, his suit was of a dark shade of blue while his shirt was royal toned, he looked incredibly handsome and all that blue popped the color of his eyes tremendously. "That's exactly what I would expect a seducer to say."

Roguishly he had his way with a crooked smile. "It's somewhat heartwarming how you find my charm beneath you."

She had her stare in his direction instantly, it was a scowl disguised as a nonchalant squint.

"Can you two please stop flirting?" Sage asked just behind them. "It's making me swoon out loud."

Caroline glanced over her shoulder at Sage.

The other answered back with a wink. "Adorable." She said barely without a sound.

Caroline turned away with a huff but her scoffing mood changed all around as she stepped inside of a really crowded ballroom, there were too many people to count and thousands of eyes shifted her way which was understandable because Klaus was the leader of the clan and he was the first one to enter the room.

The response was fast and half the room seemed to gravitate towards them, Caroline removed her arm from around him and started to pull away from him as soon as the first guests approached Klaus with loud greetings, she was getting ready to turn invisible when Klaus startled her.

He laced an arm around her waist and stroked the small of her back with his thumb. "Champagne?" He asked ignoring bluntly the first man speaking to him.

Caroline nodded with a look at the robust man in front of them.

Klaus motioned his hand to the waiter. "I take it that you prefer the pink brand."

Caroline was baffled by the way that Klaus wasn't even giving importance to the man who was speaking to him in a foreigner language and decided to smile at him as a way to make things a bit more acceptable.

"_Que guapa_!" He said loudly and with expressive hands.

"Her name is Caroline." Klaus smiled at him. "And you're still obnoxiously refusing to speak proper English."

"English is ugly." He countered upset. "We on the other hand make everything sound hot and sexy."

"That would be the French." Another man spoke as he stopped near the trio. "We even make cursing sound classy." He bowed his head at Caroline. "I'm Edgard."

"Caroline." She softly said before returning to absolute silence and a sip on her drink.

"He's called the Spanish because no one understands a word of what he says and his name was never perceptible to us." Klaus introduced her to the loud man.

He spoke in his rich accent and language, Caroline couldn't understand a word but he made her smile and now that the first round of introductions was done she anticipated how Klaus would drift away to carry out the conversation with the two men while she strategically was left behind, however not only did he kept her by his side he went as far as including her in all the topics.

* * *

Aya was just wrapping this small conversation with the British representative when one of her assistants neared her to whisper something truly troubling in her ear, she gave him a double look but his assertive nod was the carrier of bad news and she excused herself to follow the assistant quickly.

He led her to the door where she found Stefan planted with a smile and a black suit.

"I think that my invitation was lost or at least I'm giving you that benefit of defense." He told her with a nice accusing tone.

Aya looked at him angry. "This is my house and I'm hosting a private lunch."

"I do love a liquored encounter." He countered as a flock of vampires showed behind him.

Aya wasn't inclined to have blood on her doorstep so she moved aside to give way to Stefan's entrance.

* * *

"These pesters are corrupting our society, it's atrocious how they are taking our way of life and creating the very opposite for them and quite frankly I defend that our laws aren't efficient enough to fight them." Edgard shook his head to reenforce his rant.

"Obviously killing all of them isn't turning out to be enough." The Spanish mused with a teasing chuckle.

"The Council rules are made to protect them instead of us." Edgard replied harshly.

"What do you think that should be done about that?" There was another man approaching for the conversation, he was very tall and he had a distinctive look about himself, he had grey hair and small brown eyes that showed this incredible calm.

Edgard wasn't a fan of the man at all. "Maybe we should ask Klaus, he has rewritten the council rules more than once."

Klaus wasn't afraid of being the attention, even if it was slammed back to him and answered with his peculiar tone. "The rules are more like guidelines." It wasn't a mock but it wasn't far from one.

"You don't seem to find the rules important." Acutely Edgard said.

"I don't find the Council significant." Klaus smiled.

The Spanish and the newly arrived man laughed but the French chose to walk away.

"He's always so temperamental." The grey-haired man said before bowing a bit to greet Caroline. "Forgive my manners madam, I'm Willem."

Caroline had her time of reaction delayed, she was still firmly next to Klaus and everyone who came over to greet him also acknowledged her presence which she was finding too much of a novelty. "I'm Caroline." She said sweetly.

"And what is your opinion on this matter?" Willem asked her. "Are you in favor of these rules?"

Caroline gave Klaus time to intervene and to steal the answer from her but he was stubbornly including her in the conversation. "I suppose that…" She had a small breath in to fuel her spirit. "I'm not a big fan of having rules to dictate how someone should live or die."

After a few seconds looking at Caroline seriously Willem burst into a roar.

She looked at Klaus apprehensive but Klaus' smile was only soothing.

Willem calmed down enough to talk. "My wife would love you."

"She's not a devotee of rules?" Caroline wondered.

"Maryanne has a big brain and a bigger way of showing it." Willem spoke fondly of his wife. "She supports freedom as much as she asks me to be fair when I want to free people from the burden of living life stupidly."

Klaus' husky chuckle made Caroline softly laugh. "There are more than fools in the world."

Willem raised his glass and shared a silent toast with Klaus. "They have a fascinating way of seeing the world."

Proudly Klaus looked at Caroline, he could get used to these annoying functions as long as she was here.

Willem noticed the mood and spoke only to find his quick exit from the momentum. "My wife couldn't accompany me on this journey but the next time Klaus visits Vancouver I hope to see you both on my doorstep."

"I hope that happens soon." She looked at Klaus encouraged but just then things shifted inside of her sadly, she wasn't expecting to see Stefan here.

Klaus felt her tensing and easily found the reason for it.

Caroline had the softest sad sigh ever when Stefan decided to come over and pretend that he was wanted the slightest.

"A small group by the end of the room speaking at a party… that always means that there's a conspiracy brewing." Stefan eyed everyone as if he was about to accuse them of treason but he was specially indulgent with his judgement as he looked at Caroline.

The heat was on her but she was looking so fixated at her champagne glass that she was starting to know by heart all the small bubbles in it, she even managed to zone-out from the forced conversation going on but not for long and not only a minute had gone by she excused herself to search for Sage.

The party was big and she noticed how popular her friend was, every single woman here was circling the fiery woman who naturally soaked all that attention with a lively laugh, it wasn't the mood that Caroline had and she drifted to a small wandering walk.

It guided her to a long hallway that had pictures on the walls and after the first impression she realized that it was the story of a girl, it started with her childhood display followed by a cheerleader phase and then a few prom pictures.

Aya smiled with the guest looking so attentively at the memories of her daughter. "Vickie was a girl so in love with life…"

Caroline could see that from the smile on the girl before her eyes, Vickie was a really beautiful girl with dark long wavy hair and a smile that made her irresistible. "She was happy."

Touched Aya smiled. "I loved her so much that I never stopped to think that she wasn't."

"Klaus told me a bit about her." Caroline respectfully kept her comments tamed.

"I gave her everything that a mother could give a daughter but I couldn't give her the appeal of living by our tradition and someone like Mohinder represented a world of rebellion that she wanted to try. The modern vampires come all in best sellers and movies that everyone sees, Vickie wanted to be part of that illusion and there was nothing I could do to stop her."

"It's sad that you've lost her and I wish that things would've been different because I don't think that her choices make you a bad mother at all."

Aya crossed her hands in front of her and squinted at Caroline. "So Klaus was right… you are a special woman."

Caroline wished that she still had a champagne glass in her hands so that it would shield her blush, she still looked down and sort of tucked her loose hair around her ear.

"What you've done for me has no words and whenever you need a favor don't hesitate to ask."

"I didn't do it with an advantage in mind." Caroline clarified.

Aya laughed as she walked around Caroline to return to her guests. "It's good to have more female blood in the Brotherhood, who knows… maybe with Rebekah we can all form our own _Suicide Squad_."

The idea actually made Caroline smile and she imagined which cool name Sage would take for herself, it was a moment that she enjoyed thoroughly but her peace of mind was doomed to be short-lived since Stefan was around.

"Yesterday I thought that you were dead and today we've met already twice." He looked at the pictures. "Cute girl."

Again Caroline wished to have that champagne glass but to throw it at Stefan's face. "Why are you following me around Stefan?"

He looked at her amused. "Far from it. As the leader of the Council I'm expected at these boring gatherings, you're the one who's standing out."

"I guess that pink is my color." She smiled defying him.

"You're going to parties with the man who killed Damon."

"This is really bothering you, isn't it Stefan?"

He hardened his features. "He's a murderer."

Softly Caroline brought her shoulders together. "I guess that's really horrible… too bad that your conscience didn't kick in when your brother repeatedly rapped me while there as a party happening in the mansion and you enjoyed your vintage bourbon."

"Caroline…" He motioned his hand to catch her arm before she walked away.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled at him, more than a defense shouted it was a war declaration.

He raised his hands without enclosing space between them.

"You're not going to use me anymore to keep Damon in line and you're not going to make me feel guilty for choosing to go on with my life. I've endured enough to say that no one will ever have a say in my life again."

He turned around as she strutted away be he was fast on her heels, while she quickly reached the end of the hallway his fate was entirely different as Finn showed up and shoved him back to the beginning of the hallway, after a strong fall Stefan looked up from the floor to face another Mikaelson.

"It's such a pleasant party, why are you in a hurry to leave it?" Elijah asked him with a calm attire, he had his hands inside of the suit pockets and a hint of a smile on his lips.

Stefan stood up fast and angrily snarled. "Are you sure that you want to do this here?"

"He's right." Finn neared his brother. "It's particularly rude to fill someone else's hallway with blood."

"Hmmm…" Elijah mused.

After a complicity look between the siblings they grabbed Stefan and tossed him into the office where Klaus was waiting for them in front of the fireplace.

Stefan pushed the others away forcefully. "I lead half of the factions in the underworld, you can't touch me."

Finn closed the door with a loud chuckle, Elijah merely tilted his head wondering if it was possible for a man to sound more pathetic.

As for Klaus he simply flashed and after lacing his arm around Stefan's neck he brought him closer to the mantel. "Your diplomatic diplomacy has been revoked." He pushed Stefan's head closer to the fire.

Stefan wriggled and screamed as the flames heated his face.

Klaus pulled him away when the burnt smell of skin filled the air, he didn't mind how that smell would be on his fingers and grabbed Stefan's face to hiss at him. "You won't bother Caroline again, you won't look for her or send your vassals to harass her, you will keep your eyes on the floor whenever she is around and you will show her nothing but respect if you are obliged to speak to her."

Stefan fought Klaus for freedom but the menace of yellow eyes made him refrain.

"Do I need to remind you that your death is a bite away and that I'm a very volatile persona?"

Stefan closed his eyes once.

With a flick of his wrist Klaus shoved Stefan to the other end of the room and left without a glance back.

Elijah pointed at Stefan. "You should fix your tie…" he suggested. "You look somewhat disheveled."

Finn followed Elijah's exit with a laugh whilst Stefan growled with fury burning redder than ever.

* * *

Caroline finally had a little time with Sage and they had found refuge in the balcony.

"Your dress is a statement, I heard that gowns are now outdated and that everyone will wear a cocktail dress for events that take place before 6 in the afternoon."

"Are you saying that just to make me feel better?" Caroline lessened her eyes.

Sage had her champagne utterly serious. "The gorgeous girl that has Klaus smitten just made a big entrance."

"Most of these people frequented the Mayor's house so they know me Sage." Caroline reminded her.

"They are seeing you for the first time." Sage pointed out with a smirk. "And you are setting trends already."

Caroline cocked an eyebrow. "You're happier about that than I am."

"Because you have other things to be happy about." Sage grinned seeing that Klaus was headed their way.

Caroline had a small glance back finding that he always caused her to smile.

"Magnificent party." He reached the girls fast and took Caroline's hand. "It's time for us to leave."

"It is?" Caroline looked down on their entwined hands.

"I beheaded Stefan's posse and he might be slightly moody over that finding." Klaus guided them closer to the balcony.

"Oh… okay." Caroline widened her eyes when Klaus left her hand to jump over the balcony.

"And he never leaves a party like he should." Sage tapped Caroline's shoulder. "He's waiting for you."

Caroline leaned over the balcony to find a smiling Klaus awaiting on the garden, perhaps there should be a small inquisitive voice questioning her sanity but she giggled and easily scooped over with a jump, she landed right on Klaus' arms and together they made a run for it hand in hand.

"Adorable morons." Sage grunted as she watched them from the balcony.

* * *

They left the house in a random car that Klaus stole and which he abandoned right in the heart of San Francisco, they jumped on the cable car that took them straight to Chinatown and once they hit the beaming hectic center she was glued to him and walking with his protective arm around her.

The music was everywhere along with food, at night the red was the most prominent color and Caroline was excited with his choice to end their day together. "Are we here for the _Dim Sum_?"

"And everything else that we can eat." He was taking her to his favored restaurants.

"I thought that Japan was your love." She ran her fingers through a few red balloons.

"I'm a man of the world." He took her hand again and weaved on to another block that was less aimed at tourists and populated by the locals.

It was another look at dark moody bars and men playing dice and arguing loudly about it, she glued a bit more to Klaus when they entered another pocket-sized street that led them to this enchanted noise.

Klaus took her to a tiny restaurant that had exactly two tables and a lot of people eating on a long counter that was connected to the open kitchen, on a small stool there was a man playing a traditional Chinese instrument that was made of two strings and the sound enchanted Caroline more than the huge cultural download.

"I'm going to close down the Council and crush the resistance."

Caroline looked at Klaus with endearing eyes. "We already had this talk today but…"

"Is that a suggestion that I sense?" He leaned over with half-closed eyes.

Cutely she smiled. "There should be more women in the Brotherhood."

He narrowed his eyes further. "I believe that I just heard Rebekah squeal."

Caroline laughed. "You need someone to balance you out."

"Are you offering?"

She shrugged. "I'm free tomorrow."

It was his time to laugh.

Caroline rested against him, that was tomorrow, for now she had inviting lips to kiss and she happily hooked her lips with his, it was a kiss that had been hold back for a while and it lasted until this overpowering smell of delicious food made her pull away from his lips. "It smells really good." She rotated to find five different dishes in front of her and she couldn't wait to dive into them.

It was the first of many different things that she tried and their night flew while they explored this tiny world that existed in the heart of another but perhaps the biggest event took place in Caroline's heart, the longer she spent with Klaus the clearer it was for her that she was falling in love with him but instead of crippling her, that feeling gave her life.

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

A sorta fairytale – _Tori Amos_

Good to love – _FKA twigs_

Alive – _Sia_

Blank space – _Rhodes_


	16. Henceforth

Caroline was waiting for her company, Bonnie was back and Sage had organized a lunch date for the three of them, it was still early but Caroline loved the restaurant that Sage picked, it was just next to the Golden Gate Park and it had a magnificent view over it so Caroline arrived really early to enjoy it quietly.

What a fantastic thought and one that would've worked brilliantly if it wasn't for the small spat happening between a couple not far from her table, it was about his crazy jealousy and how it was ruining their relationship.

Caroline felt as if she was a magnet to these situations and there were times when she would connect to that scene so much while sadly gazing at other happy couples yet today she was watching it all with a completely different attitude, she felt sorry for the girl and assessed that probably that was a volatile relationship about to explode considering how eerily quiet the man was but her connection to what she was witnessing stopped right there.

Strangely she was able to distance herself from the couple and quietly had her drink without it falling badly on her weak stomach, smiling hugely with the vibrating action of her phone Caroline picked it up from the table eager to find out what Klaus had to say on this beautiful morning.

_**If he doesn't invite me to be his best man I will hold a grudge so big that I will speak up when the priest makes the infamous question**_

Caroline laughed loudly, a bit too loudly apparently as everyone on this side of the restaurant glanced at her but she was only reacting to him and wrote back a reply that he rapidly countered.

For several minutes they exchanged short messages that had little substance but loads of sass, it truly filled her heart and she was happy with it until she was interrupted by a random man approaching her at the table.

"I'm not interested." She smiled and looked up. "So get lost." She sent him away without hesitation.

It stopped any further advances and he awkwardly smiled. "I should've known that you were way out of my league." He walked away with a somber look on his face.

Caroline focused on her messages again until Klaus mentioned that they were preparing the chamber for Marcel and that in the meantime he was being held inside of the coffin by Bonnie's magic, duty forced them to part ways and she softly ended things with a wish to see him later.

Her drink was also ending but Caroline didn't ask for another daiquiri because her lunch company was arriving and they should all order at the same time. "Hi!" Caroline welcomed Bonnie and Sage with a giant grin.

"We have matching braids!" Sage excitedly noticed that they were both wearing French braids that started at the crown of the head and ended at the nape of the neck.

"You have red hair…" Caroline crinkled her lips. "Everything looks far more interesting on you."

Sage chuckled as she rested her clutch on the table. "I can't make a single wave on my hair, it's flat as a waveless river." She complained.

Caroline looked at Bonnie to softly bring her into the conversation. "I love your effortless curls by the way."

Bonnie coyly smiled. "I work hard to make them look effortless."

"Men have it easier, all they have to do is put on a pair of jeans and a good shirt and let us style their hair." Sage laughed.

"I once timed Kol in front of the mirror and he spent twenty minutes trying to give that _casual_ messy look to his hair." Bonnie said with a laugh that wasn't as effusive as Sage's.

Observant Caroline could tell that although Bonnie wanted to be here she wasn't fully comfortable with the situation, it was a discomfort that Caroline hoped to ease up with a smile and alcohol. "We should order our drinks." She suggested.

"What were you drinking?" Sage waved at their waiter.

"Daiquiri." Caroline tilted her head. "And it was really good."

"I'll have one." Bonnie jumped on the liquored wagon, she needed to shrug away how intimidated she was by Sage.

After checking with Caroline, Sage ordered the same drink for the three of them and gazed a big at the waiter while he went away. "He's cute." She purred. "Not as charismatic and perfect as my Finn but cute."

"He's ok." Caroline opinionated uninterested.

Sage only laughed. "Once you fall for a Mikaelson no one rivals enough…"

"That must be why Bonnie is going to marry Kol." Caroline tossed the ball to another corner.

It wasn't a curve ball for Bonnie at all and she actually used it to find her niche. "I had no idea how much my life would change when I first met Kol."

"How did you meet him?" Caroline knew a little from what Klaus told her but she wanted to hear the entire story from Bonnie.

"My father works for an insurance company and he spends a lot of time traveling from city to city and while I was growing up he would spend months and months away from home, every time that he came back the fights just became bigger and uglier. My mother was tired of being alone with a house and a daughter to handle so one day while I was at school my mother walked away." Bonnie grabbed her drink as soon as it reached the table. "I went from having an intermittent father and a cold mother to having a big house all to myself."

"What about your father?" Caroline asked affected by the tale.

"He would show up from time to time to give me money and to tell me that about his new girlfriend." Bonnie had another big sip from her drink. "She already had a kid of her own but she was willing to try and be nice to me so when they got married I was invited for the honeymoon excursion."

"Ouch…" Caroline cringed.

Bonnie pressed her lips tight with a nod.

"It was your chance to leave that horrible tiny town where you lived and to find love in San Francisco." As always Sage offered her romantic angle on things.

Bonnie rested her glass with a warm smile. "I came here with my research done and on the very first night I left the new happy family back at the hotel and went to a club that was known to be _witch friendly_, from the second I walked in I was in heaven and all I wanted to do was dance and to be with others that were like me. As the night went on I made friends and someone gave me a taste of Red Smoke, which is like Marijuana for witches, and I went around to the back alley to smoke. I was so into it that when I saw Kol coming out of the back door I thought that I was genuinely hallucinating about the most beautiful man I had ever seen."

Enchanted Caroline picked up her drink. "What happened then?"

"He said good evening and I answered back that he had the sexiest voice I had ever heard." Bonnie lowered her head with a hand sprinting along her cheek. "I was really stoned."

Caroline found the story enthralling and she wanted to know more of it.

Encouraged Bonnie complied. "I asked him why he was hiding in the back of a club and he said that he was getting away from a bad date, he asked me in return why I was hiding and I told him that I wanted to get away from my family. From then on we talked for an hour or so and on the next night I went back to the club and found him without a date." She shrugged. "That's how I spent the rest of my week, during the day I endured the tantrums of a kid that wasn't related to me and the irking showing of affection between my father and his young wife, by night I rushed to meet with a handsome man who made me laugh and made my heart beat hard. When my father left I didn't go with him and I've been with Kol ever since."

"And now you're going to marry him." It was like a real life fairy tale for Caroline.

"I am…" She sighed out loud.

"Although you're very young…" Sage stepped in for her favorite subject. "… you're decided on this and on being turned as well."

"I may be young but I'm too old to postpone it." Bonnie shook her head. "Kol is obsessed with this fear that he has that I might get hurt as the breakable human that I am." She glided her long fringe behind her ear and lowered her voice a tone. "It's something that he does in the bedroom as well."

Sage lowered the drink from her lips with a chuckle. "I've been having sex with Finn for centuries and he still gets worried whenever I moan louder." She leaned over to whisper at Bonnie. "If he stops caring about your gratification, your pleasure and your preferences in bed then you need to worry because he doesn't love you anymore. The concern if he's hurting you or if he's making you uncomfortable with something comes with the intimacy and that's not going to change just because you're going to be a vampire."

The interaction really made Bonnie smile but they weren't alone at the table and she looked at Caroline with an apologetic expression. "We shouldn't be talking about this."

"It's ok." Caroline tapped the table with lazy fingers. "I have no idea what the two of you are talking about."

Sage and Bonnie gulped down incommoded.

"I mean…" Caroline had a bit of her drink easily. "It's like watching a foreign movie without having access to the subtitles."

Those facts truly troubled Bonnie and she weakly hinted on a smile.

"As bad as it was, it's over." Caroline smiled hopeful. "And maybe one day I'll be able to relate to what you're both talking about."

"Well, for now we need to plan my wedding." Bonnie wanted to shift gears on the conversation but she bit her lip wondering how self-centered she just sounded.

"Who knows if we'll be planing another one soon?" Sage mused while opening the menu.

Caroline burned her with a big stare but Sage ignored the scowl cooly.

"Are there… news?" Bonnie asked curious.

"There was a kiss under falling snow." Sage told Bonnie shielding herself from Caroline by using the menu card.

"Awwww…" Bonnie whimpered.

"It was so romantic and fluffy that I almost got diabetes from watching it." She perkily replied.

Caroline lowered the menu to confront Sage. "We're not getting married."

Sage wobbled her head. "By soon I meant in a few centuries, I know how Klaus would like to prologue this courtship."

"A kiss doesn't mean courtship Sage." Caroline insisted.

"Has the word _Leelan_ popped up yet?" Sage asked with a playful lift of her eyebrow.

Caroline grabbed the menu and raised it back up to shield them.

Behind it Sage grinned in victory. "I'm going to try the lobster."

* * *

Katherine interrupted her Bulgarian rant to hiss through the call in a crystal-clear English. "Valken… I'm not asking you to do this, I'm telling you to sell those rubies and to transfer the money to my account." She ended the call before he even had a breathing chance to respond.

Hastily she shoved the phone into her bag and closed her hand around the key of her car but as she reached it the most eerie sensation hit her, she glanced around the empty street but the feeling was stronger than her visual senses and she quickly tried to open the door of her car.

The plan was to get inside and to drive as fast as she could out of Sacramento, to keep on driving until she was safely out of reach from the perfect storm cooking back in the city that she left behind and she almost had her plan going if it wasn't for the strong whooshing blow that pinned her against the car.

Still she fought back and swiftly pulled a knife from inside her bag, using it to cut the hand trying to grab her she turned around and weaved out of reach to stab her attacker but as fast as she was, she wasn't as good as him and again she was pinned against the car with her own knife scratching her throat.

"Elijah…" She smiled. "I've missed you."

"Touching words while I press a blade to your skin… _Katerina_."

She was overtaken by stun.

"The Petrova family is greatly known in the gypsy community and all of them are elusive by nature."

She gained back her pose and smiled seductively at him. "Maybe I just like running because you are always chasing."

Elijah pulled back the blade and straightened up, although he wasn't physically threatening her his entire posture oozed exactly that and even when he smiled there was a piercing menace for her. "What did Marcel asked you to do for him?"

Katherine tossed her big wall of curls behind her shoulder. "I thought that you would waste a little longer talking about your other findings."

"One never knows when you will be gone." He looked at her with a bit of a side look.

"Travelers don't get roots anywhere." She had a small step to the side.

Elijah breathed in heavily. "I'm not going through the hassle of having to find you again."

Katherine stiffened a bit as she was suddenly surrounded by a group of Elijah's subordinates. "You wouldn't hurt me Elijah." She looked at him practically certain of it.

"They aren't as permissive as you may find me." He said with a nod.

The group closed in on Katherine and she reacted by nearing Elijah. "I told him about Davina."

Elijah didn't order anyone to stop and two of the men already had their hands around Katherine's arms. "What is it that he wants with Davina?"

"If I tell you that, I'm dead. It's my leverage Elijah!" She fought to get away from the men, she hit one in the nose but not even his own spilling blood was able to stop him, when they started to drag her away she yelled. "I'll give you the stakes!"

Only when she really started to fight them, which meant that she was scared, Elijah decided to react. "Where are they hidden?"

The group stopped so Katherine pushed them away and tucked her tight clothes back to perfection. "It's a day away by car."

He moved his hand towards it. "I'll watch closely as you drive."

She angrily glanced at the group of apes that wrinkled her look and then turned her anger to Elijah as soon as she slammed the door of her car. "That wasn't a chivalrous approach at all."

Elijah chuckled entertained. "It's not safe to be a gentleman around you, even less to walk into a room before you." He looked at her knowingly.

Almost attempting to look innocent she smiled. "Speaking of it… thank you for that, it's not every day that a man dies for me."

Elijah scolded her in silence, that wasn't even worth a comment.

* * *

The girls laughed fueled by a really great mood, lunch was fun so far and everyone was at ease, even Bonnie started loosening up and felt more comfortable than ever with Sage, at the moment they were laughing because Sage was still fixated on how cute their waiter was.

"He reminds me a bit of a young Finn…" She narrowed her eyes. "I'm sort of imagining him with long hair…" Sage jumped on her chair when her phone startled her and she picked it up with a crunching of her lips. "Oh I think that my husband just sensed my scandalous flirting…"

Bonnie and Caroline laughed entertained by how actually serious she sounded when she spoke to Finn.

"Hello love of my life…" she smiled at the other two girls. "I'm having heaps of fun, what about you?" She covered her phone while Finn talked. "I'm stepping outside and away from temptation so I can focus solely on my lovely husband." She whispered as she left the table and headed to the alfresco area of the restaurant.

Caroline shook her head. "She just wanted an excuse to have a little romantic time alone with her hubby."

"She intimidates the life out of me." Bonnie confessed out loud.

Caroline looked at Bonnie surprised. "Really?"

Bonnie nodded. "She's like the mother in law that gives you creepy nightmares at night." She motioned a hand outside. "She's perfect and I don't know how to not fall short on that."

Caroline smiled. "She just wants what's best for her babies like a good mother would but that's not something that you have to worry about." She sweetly lifted her eyebrows a bit. "You're going to be a Mikaelson Shellan soon and with everyone's approval."

"I just have to survive the wedding day." Bonnie grunted. "There's a big list of protocol things that I need to know and then there's the actual dress that I need to imagine because Sage doesn't want me to wear something already made." She scooped closer to Caroline with a whisper. "She hired some fancy renowned stylist to tailor my dress from scratch."

Caroline giggled. "The next time you walk into the Brotherhood house there will be an army of seamsters ready to take your measures."

Bonnie gasped. "That's what I told Kol!" She started laughing.

As did Caroline. "If you ever need to hide, my house is protected by a spell and no one can go in."

"No…" Bonnie thanked her with a smile nonetheless. "Nothing can stop this train. It's a train steady in motion." She made a fist of self-encouragement. "I'm going to create my own wedding gown."

"Do you already know what you want?" Caroline asked.

"Only that I don't want it to be ivory white."

"Rum white would look fascinating against your skin."

Bonnie's eyes sparkled. "I don't want a big cleavage but I don't want to be completed covered up or anything." She looked down on her perky boobs. "But a sweetheart neckline might be too revealing as well…"

"What if you have one of those amazing laced tops to cover your shoulders but with a cool opening around your chest line?"

Bonnie flapped her hands around excited. "It could go all the way to my back and from top to low waist it would be an intricate lace design."

"That would be so hot." Caroline could see it perfectly.

"I like where this is going." Bonnie clasped her hands tight. "But I suck at drawing."

"Caroline can do that for you." Sage rejoined the girls just on time.

Bonnie drifted stares between the girls, squealing when Caroline agreed with two thumbs up.

Sage scanned the restaurant. "Where's our waiter? We need another bottle of wine."

"He's not cute anymore?" Caroline teased.

"Finn's voice does magical things to me." She answered with a shrug. "As soon as we leave I'm going straight to an _Agent_ _Provocateur_ store and I'm going to inspire myself for tonight."

"Kol and I have decided to sleep in different rooms until the night of our wedding." Bonnie informed Sage, exactly as if she was saying mommy that she was staying away from sex.

Sage embraced it with her usual unique vision. "Trust me on this, it's something that has been done since our culture was born and the wait only makes it _that_ worthy."

"Even if we haven't waited before?" Bonnie was only doing this because there was a tradition aspect to it, nothing more.

"Finn and I do it quite often, we spend months without having sex and during that wait we're just two young lovers going on dates and exchanging furtive kisses around the house… we take it to the limit, when we really can't take it anymore and when we do give in it's fireworks and stars all over again. I always end up craving for him more than I did before." Sage was giving her share of advice because Bonnie was bound to be with the same man for the next many centuries and that could be challenging at times but like Bonnie had before she stopped and looked at Caroline apologetically.

Again Caroline took it with grace. "I promise that I'm ok."

"Are you certain?" Sage insisted.

"I don't know if I will be able to go through with it but I have thought about how it will be when Klaus asks to have sex." She admitted but with a frown because they were looking at her oddly. "I said something that I shouldn't… haven't I?"

"_When Klaus asks_…" Sage rested her hand over Caroline's.

Inside of Caroline all of these horrible little bells started to echo in alarm. "He's not going to ask?" She quickly slipped into this place where she questioned what she was doing wrong.

Sage squeezed Caroline's hand. "You have the strongest voice in this and I can vouch for that sandy-curled warrior of yours that he would never impose his desires, his arousal or his body on another woman… before all else, your consent matters the most to Klaus, and although asking isn't forcing, he's not going to do it."

Her chest contracted like she was reacting to a heart thumping and beating out of control, although it wasn't possible of happening anymore her chest still tried to dilate enough to tame such an erratic pace and she also caught her breath ungrounded.

It's not that she was making excuses for him, she was making them for herself because she knew that the first move would have to be hers but she had no idea how long she could postpone it without pushing him away too much.

* * *

"They have kings cake…" Matt told Davina as he read the menu. "Do you want a slice of it? It would be a bit like being in New Orleans."

"No." She dryly answered and with her eyes on the window of the tiny diner.

"You should eat something." He dropped the menu disconcerted.

"I don't need the sympathy of my kidnapper."

He twitched on his seat. "I still have a beating heart and ever since we've been on the road that you've only been drinking water."

She looked away from Rebekah who was on the phone outside and scolded Matt. "You're in love with a vampire… your heart is tainted."

He widened his eyes and picked up a mug with steaming hot coffee inside. "How about an omelet?"

"I don't want anything that comes from Satan and her corrupt human." Davina snapped with an irritated hiss.

Right that instant Rebekah arrived to the colorful table and dropped her phone heavily on the surface, just next to a mug of coffee that Matt had ordered for her. "Do you know that the first report of a witch sighting comes from a child that got lost in a forest? When she was found she said that during the night she saw several women dancing naked around a fire and singing to Satan." She wrapped her hand around the mug with a smile. "Witches are the ones who are known for signing the Devil's book, not sweet humans with enchanting blue eyes."

"It's not natural for vampires to exist." Davina spewed her hatred with every word she told Rebekah.

"You're too young to have all that hatred stored up." Rebekah grew curious as to why Davina hated her kind so much.

"I want to wait in the car." She tried to block Rebekah's interest.

Rebekah leaned a bit forward. "You don't have a family, do you?"

"It's none of your business."

Rebekah lessened her eyes. "Did they reject you?"

Davina turned her head to the window.

Rebekah tapped the mug with her finger. "Were they killed by a vampire?"

Davina tried to keep her breath and life under wraps.

"Was it one of us?" Rebekah dropped her voice and right then the mug inside of her hand shattered spilling coffee everywhere.

"Can I please go to the car?" Davina asked with glistening eyes.

"I will take you." Matt stood up to escort her.

Rebekah stayed behind cleaning her hand and watching them walk away, Davina was a volatile emotional bomb and with the news maybe it wasn't the smartest action to take her straight to the epicenter of all that hatred.

* * *

With Sage gone shopping for sexy lingerie it was up to Caroline to give Bonnie a ride to the mansion but she was sticking to her word and only leaving the other on the driveway, she wasn't going to step inside of the house so she was truly happy that Klaus was arriving just ahead of them and that he waited for the girls by his car.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Bonnie sweetly said goodbye to Caroline, rushing inside of the house so that the couple could be alone.

Caroline left the car having only eyes for Klaus. "I thought that you would be inside flaying Marcel alive."

"Maybe I will wait for Rebekah." He walked over to Caroline with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not sure though if she would mind that I handed him over without an arm or a leg."

"As long as you leave the heart for last." She tilted her head the tiniest inch as he stopped terribly close to her.

"That's for her to do, she would never forgive me if I did that extraction."

"Mhm…" she wandered away from the conversation, torture was the last thing she wanted to talk about.

"This is as close as you're coming to the house?" He asked with a decline of his eyes to her lips.

She licked them and nodded. "Yeah…"

"I suppose that it wouldn't be too hard to run the family business from the driveway." He cutely frowned.

Swoon by it Caroline laughed. "I have to go and you have a cluttered office waiting for you."

"Which becomes endlessly unappealing when I'm forced to watch you go."

"I'm not going far…" She invited him in for a kiss by lowering her voice just enough to come off alluring.

Victims to a moody weather the inevitable moment was delayed by a sudden fall of a few drops of rain, Caroline covered her head a bit but before it caused a drizzle damage to her hair Klaus removed his leather jacket and created a small protective haven for them by covering their heads with it.

Caroline smiled hugely, that was a slick move from him. "Are you going to be busy tonight? I'd like to make dinner for us at my house."

"I'll bring the wine." He promptly accepted.

"Good." She inched first but he quickly caught her lips for a kiss that was sheltered by a roof of leather and the sound of rain hitting it.

She was starting to get really comfortable kissing him, it wasn't hard when she was so drawn to the softness and warmth of his lips, he alternated between her upper lip and the bottom one and whenever she paused he respected that.

Caroline was also becoming more at ease with her hands and she found out that she liked how his scruff tickled her fingertips and how strongly she could feel him breathe if she caressed his neck, it was among all those thoughts that they ended a small chain of kisses.

"I'll be waiting for you at eight." She pulled away with a smile and got inside of her car still under his jacket.

Klaus only dressed it back on when she was already driving away and stood under the falling rain attentive to her exit.

From the rear view mirror Caroline found the image fascinating. "Seriously…" She shook her head while speeding away, he looked so incredibly hot.

* * *

Bonnie knew that she would find him lost in a book, whenever Kol was home and he had the time, he would always pick up his beloved _trashy pornish books _as she liked to call them.

For some reason Kol had a massive taste for these really shady vampire stories that had a lot of graphic sex scenes and depicted violence with an outstanding flair, none of them made sense and the main story always revolved around some impossible love where everything was really tragic apart from the crazy sex and all the cursing going around.

Although he kissed her when she sat next to him Kol didn't really take his eyes away from his reading.

Obviously the page was a vital part of the story and Bonnie cuddled against his chest to read what he was so absorbed in, she almost huffed when she quickly realized that he was right in the middle of a _love scene._ "Don't you ever get tired of reading about other people having sex?"

Kol moved his arm around her shoulders and knotted his fingers with hers as she searched for his hand. "As I read, I change all the characters' names into Bonnie and Kol." He smirked.

Bonnie read a bit further with a raised eyebrow. "You are not going to do that to Bonnie ever."

Kol chuckled. "Sex like that is meaningless…" He tightened his arm around her so that he could scoop her closer to him. "It's just words on a piece of paper and I skim through it without a second thought." He changed page.

She rested differently against his chest so that she could look up at him. "You don't read it for something that is missing?"

He curved his lips with another smile, his eyes were still fixated on the story. "It's an easy read and I'm entertained by how unreal and shallow it all is. It's an addictive kind of bad."

Bonnie shifted her attention to the book unconvinced.

"I'm living my own grand romance." He whispered against her ear while embracing her closer.

He made her smile and she remained comfortably on the sofa with her back against his chest and her legs stretched on the side but uncannily with the minutes flowing she started to pay more attention to what she was reading, it was horribly trapping her attention and she tried to keep up with him so that he wouldn't change pages before she got a chance to read everything.

"Why is she leaving him?" She suddenly asked when the couple erupted into a fight after a sort of decent romantic after-sex scene.

"She has a terminal illness and she's sparing him of having to see her get weaker and die." He answered with a smile.

Bonnie changed the page herself, she was dying to know how he was going to cope with that tragedy.

* * *

The golden 911S Porsche was Finn's favorite vintage car, he fondly called it _El Dorado_ and he usually wasted a good portion of his day fussing around the engine, today wasn't an exception and although he was happily lost in his favorite hobby he still listened to the approaching footsteps with a chuckle. "By the dragging pace… I take it that Caroline didn't stay for long?" He looked back at a sulking Klaus.

"She left although I've said that we're not going to touch Marcel just yet." Klaus rested against the car with his hands migrating inside of the pockets of his jacket.

"And why aren't we?" Finn narrowed his eyes.

"We're waiting for Rebekah." Klaus grumbled.

"Ah…" Finn simply said before burying his head back inside of his car.

"What are you implying?"

Finn raised his head back up. "Only that you've persecuted Marcel for years, made an avowal that you would personally torture him to the very limit of his resistance and then unleash him on a dark forest where you would hunt him down as a wolf… and now we're waiting for our baby sister to arrive…" He squinted.

"She wants to plunge the first dagger in." Klaus hit the back of his boot against the tip of the other, watching as water sprinkled from the action.

"Ah…" Finn lowered his head again.

Klaus growled with veiled lips.

Finn laughed behind a lifted hood. "We are all waiting for her to arrive when it was so clamant to capture Marcel…" He peeked to the side to have a look at Klaus. "I suppose that keeping him in the middle of a room capturing dust is a form of torture on its own."

"I'm finding it hard to gain a disposition for random torture these days." Klaus made the confession in a low voice.

"So that settles that Trevor got the short stick…" He laid out the words with a smirk. "Your energies are no longer guarded for those who wrong our sister."

Klaus flared him with a vivid fire in his eyes. "I haven't lost my good sense to enjoy other people's blood."

"But you're here because you don't know why blood doesn't taste the way that it used to." Finn straightened up and picked up a cloth to clean his hands. "Even the Gods grow weary of power Niklaus."

Klaus licked his lips aware that there was another one of Finn's stories about the Greek Gods and his usual analogy but this was one of those rare occasions when he could use the advice of his older brother. "Hades didn't, he was the best fighter and many claim that he was the reason Zeus and the younger Gods finally won the war against the Titans… he relished in death as I relish in blood."

"Death is final and he embodied that." Finn nodded but with a cunning smile. "Still Hades was not evil, he was stern, cruel and unpitying at times but he was still just."

"_The gloomy Hades enriches himself with our sighs and our tears._" Klaus rascally smiled. "Sophocles." He added.

"But even the _Unseen One_ fell in love."

This was that moment when Klaus wanted to counter but couldn't.

"He lived and cared for his eternal domain but he as well discovered that love tastes sweeter than blood."

Klaus lowered his eyes to the ground.

Upon the visible restlessness of his brother, Finn sighed. "Your ability to shield from love has been your greatest asset but not your fortitude."

Klaus' head moved so that he could look at Finn.

The other smiled before lowering his head to focus again on his car. "Marcel is not going anywhere, Rebekah will delay her arrival as much as she can, the Slayers are all under control… and you're wasting time speaking to your least favorite brother when somewhere else there's a beautiful girl who loves talking to you and spending her time with you."

"I have to fight your Shellan for her attention." Klaus scoffed as he walked by Finn on his way out of the garage.

Finn laughed richly. "I didn't say that your life was easy."

* * *

Caroline didn't bounce to the front door because she was trying to look like a mature creature, regardless of how giddy she smiled at Klaus when she opened the door for him. "You're early."

He dropped his head with a grunt. "I had to get away from Finn and his Greek references."

"I'm happy that you're here already." She stepped aside eager to let him in.

"I have this for you…" He handed her a bottle of wine.

"Yummy!" She was happy that it was rose blush.

"And these…" He pulled something else from behind his back.

She smiled with a glow when she saw the flowers. "That's so sweet of you." She embraced the huge bouquet of colorful lilies.

"Do you like them?" Klaus was reticent about his choice of flowers.

Caroline closed her door with a tiny frown. "They are a bit of an odd choice but I love them." She decided.

"I was engrossed by Finn's tales." He sort of excused himself.

After smelling her flowers Caroline neared his lips for a kiss, it was more like a long peck and he was the one smiling as she walked over to the kitchen to leave the wine and the flowers there.

Dickens came into the living room to investigate the guest, he smelled Klaus' legs and rubbed his head against his calf before leaping onto the sofa where he sat, yawning and showing his pink tongue as he settled on top of a pillow.

"I have a lazy cat." Caroline arrived to Klaus' side with two big glasses half-filled with wine. "He's always sleeping."

Now that he was really comfortable Dickens rested his head and closed his eyes.

"I reckon that he's happy." It was easy for Klaus to reach that conclusion when the cat was sharing a house with her.

His thoughts were a riddle for her but she liked the way that Klaus looked at her so instead of looking away from his ardent blue eyes she actually had her wine with a bit of a flirt. "How was your day?" She asked keen on having his voice join the moment.

"Less prolific than usual." He squinted the tiniest when his phone started ringing, it was Naoki and with an unprecedented motion he not only declined the call, he also turned his phone off.

By the time he raised his head Caroline was already in the kitchen preparing a salad to accompany their meal and he leaned against the threshold watching her, she was wearing a long white tunic with a crochet back over brown leather pants and knee-length boots, her hair was loose and wavy and she looked entirely dreamy.

"You're a bit more mindful than usual." Caroline said.

He smiled. "Now that we have Marcel no one seems to be in a hurry to take him out of that coffin… myself included." He looked at the wine in his hand. "I asked Naoki to prepare the room but I have no intention of touching Marcel before Rebekah gets here."

"If she chooses not to kill Marcel, are you going to respect that?"

Klaus looked up with a big smirk around his lips, she had the aptitude to deduce so much when she was given so little. "I haven't said that."

Caroline saved two pieces of cucumber and she neared Klaus to hand him one of them. "What he did affected everyone but Rebekah was the one who got hurt." She ate her piece of cucumber.

"You know that I find her weak for that." He crunched his piece of veggie between sharp white teeth.

Caroline reached for the glass in his hand. "It wasn't her fault Klaus, she was seduced with intent and she did what she had to do afterwards to protect herself."

"By standing between him and the tip of my sword?"

"She was in love then and I think that it's amazing that you're willingly giving her the chance to find out if she still has any feelings left for him. That you're trying to understand why she saved Marcel back then."

The ivory beauty before him was really starting to weave her personality into his actions. "It's not so much out of free will but out of this confusing wish to please you."

"Confusing?" Caroline's voice sounded raspy as it left her tight chest.

"I know that you don't approve of how detached I am from what others may feel, unless it's you."

She smiled greatly at him. "We wouldn't be having this conversation if that was true Klaus."

"I was nurtured into this world on a cradle of carelessness…" He warmed her cheek with the back of his hand. "And I've lived with the same lack of care."

"I care for you." Caroline juxtaposed.

He loved just how strong she sounded and how her statement wasn't a timid whisper but a candid admission, with a smile he leaned over and kissed her, taking into consideration how she wasn't at ease with his hand in her neck he moved it to her back to rest it just where he would feel her heart pounding against its cage.

Caroline didn't like the weight of a hand on her neck but she sure liked caressing his neck and she wasn't shy this time, she stroked his neck while their mouths matched strongly against each other and she was the first to part her lips and to ask for a deeper kiss.

It was a slow encounter and a sensation that she really enjoyed, Klaus wasn't a kisser that rushed things, he tasted her tongue always waiting that she followed his dance and although he was leading he only owned the kiss when Caroline redrew playfully from his reach, it was a sweet search that ended with a tiny inner moan from her.

"Wait… I need a second." Caroline broke the kiss shaky.

Klaus kissed the corner of her lips. "I was charmed here with the offering of food." He reminded her of the perfect escape to simmer things down for a bit.

"I've made Ramen noodles with coleslaw and almonds." She rested her hands flat over his chest and opened her eyes to look at him.

"It sounds inviting sweetheart."

His words were pronounced in a low lilt accent and she really wished that he wouldn't make everything sound so sexy. "I need more wine." She quickly snaked away from him and filled her glass almost to the top.

* * *

Dinner was delicious and it went by slow, they weren't in a hurry to finish their intimate meal and while Caroline told him about Bonnie and how excited she was for this wedding he noticed how much Caroline was actually drinking tonight.

They had already finished the bottle of wine that he arrived with, having moved on to another bottle of white wine that she had cooling in the fridge, usually it wouldn't be something that would prickle his attention so much but Caroline wasn't a heavy drinker.

"… Sage is preparing everything like it's her own wedding." Caroline thought about it with a smile.

"She's waited for this moment for a long time." Klaus pushed away his glass a bit.

"Finally another Mikaelson is getting married." Caroline stood up and started cleaning up the table. "And there could be another five centuries before the next wedding so this party is going to be unforgettable."

Klaus moved to the living room where he found Dickens fighting with a feather that escaped his favorite pillow, the scene was enjoyable but Klaus also found Caroline's pad and was sold on that, she had a really skillful hand and her artwork was striking.

"Don't be too judgy." She asked him fearful of his impression.

His smile was wide as he reached a page with the drawing of his face fading into one of a wolf. "You have an eye to see past the obvious."

"I've never seen a werewolf in his animal form so I had to inspire myself in regular wolves." She was at least happy with the way she captured every detail in his face, even the yellow eyes.

"Those who have seen me thought of the devil before they died."

"Do you shift often?"

Klaus waited a second before answering, by the look on her face she was genuinely interested. "Not since I've made a residence in San Francisco…" He glided his hand across the drawing she made with his eyes there now. "This city has a melancholic effect on me and I've kept that side of myself dormant."

"San Francisco and its seven hills is far from offering you the freedom of vast forests where you can get lost as a wolf."

Again he looked at her stunned that she spoke of something that no one bothered to think about.

Caroline picked up on it. "Since I don't sleep at night, I have a lot of time to think and lately I've been busy thinking about how really different you are and how there's so much I still don't know about you."

Klaus wondered if she had any notion of how much she already distanced herself from the others. "I've let you closer than anyone before."

With a helpful deep breath she took his hand. "I want to let my guards down for you as well." She started walking to her room.

With his hand in hers Klaus followed her to the bedroom and even if he was decided to stop her intentions he still kissed her when she met his lips resolute to bring out his fire, her lips were soft and with the pressure that they made against his her body followed and Caroline pressed herself against him.

It was really the first time that Klaus felt her body outlining his urgently and with the way that she was kissing him sweetly he didn't resist her long, he circled his arms around her and deepened the kiss by parting her lips.

Caroline answered with another tiny moan and by walking back to meet her bed, she didn't feel the mattress as he padded their fall but truthfully she was getting dizzy to tell anything distinctively, he was kissing her without holding back and she was enjoying it but at the same time she was also thinking of where this was headed and that thought triggered everything.

All night she had been drinking to gain the right amount of courage and numbness to do this, it was inevitable that they had sex and she was doing so well with the rest that she convinced herself that she could do this, she knew that he would be caring enough and that all she had to do was get through this very first time but now she was breathing unevenly and a heartbeat away from a panic attack.

So much that she didn't even acknowledge that Klaus wasn't kissing her anymore or that his body wasn't heavy on top of hers any longer, that he was trying to bring her breath back to normal by asking her to breath and relax and by keeping a distance between them that would make her feel safe.

"I'm so sorry…" Caroline breathed out without the audacity of opening her eyes to look at him directly.

He debated between giving her space or staying as he was, when she kept her hands clutched around his neck he realized that's the support she needed and only shifted so that he could lay on his side.

Without his weight on top of her, things very slowly returned to a normality that she could handle and she searched for his face regretful. "I thought that if I created the right mood and if I took the initiate before you did, that I would be able to do it."

He had one arm gently around her waist line and the other bent by the elbow to hold his head resting against his hand. "You think so of me? That I would want to have sex with you because you've inebriated yourself enough to endure it?"

"What we have has healed me so much that I don't want to be selfish and to lose you because I can't have sex with you." She closed her eyes hating that she was still so messed up.

Klaus laid on his back to stare at the ceiling with a sigh. "Factually you do not know me."

Slowly Caroline rested on her side facing him. "You don't want to have sex with me Klaus?"

"Your little daring has proven that I actually have very little resistance to how much I desire you." He said fixated on a cream ceiling.

Caroline silently motioned her hand forward to touch him, she moved her fingertips along his jaw line and then outlined his lips with the same slowness. "You take my breath away Klaus."

He smiled capturing her hand to leave a big kiss on her skin. "You give me life."

True to her words Caroline was left breathless.

He met her eyes with a slow motion of his head. "I've dedicated myself to death and in the midst of it all, my life desiccated as well. I couldn't miss a heart that wasn't beating… until I met you."

She smiled emotional that he was so open about his feelings and that her hand was resting over his heart. "Will you stay with me tonight Klaus?"

"Yes." He had no intention of moving an inch from where he was.

Caroline curled a bit into a loose ball and trapped her hand between the pillow and her cheek. "Tell me about the land where you were born."

Klaus looked up reminiscent, he could picture it on the bland ceiling. "I was born in what is now the The Scandinavian Mountains or the _Scandes_, which is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The land was made of either arid sand or ice so we found shelter in the lowest parts of the massif, where the sun heated during the day and the rain iced us during the night… everything was harsh, from the weather to the father who raised me."

"Tell me about Ansel instead." Caroline asked softly.

Klaus smiled. "He lived freely on the only green plateau that existed and during the full moon he would go with his pack to the fjords of Norway and back."

"Did you ever go with him during one of his runs?"

He looked at her noticing how her voice was slowing down, how her hand was getting warmer inside of his. "Once… when I found out that he was my real father. I lived with him for four moons and during that time he taught me about my werewolf legacy and how I should always see Elijah and the others as my pack."

"I wish I had known him." Caroline said with eyelids that refused to stay open and with a sleepy voice that barely came out with a sound.

As she fell asleep Klaus watched her enraptured. "He would've liked you… Leelan."

* * *

**Soundtrack**:

This must be the place – _Iron &amp; Wine _

Let it be – _Labrinth_

Painter (Valentine) – _Lapsley_

Open your eyes – _School of Seven Bells_

* * *

_**Author's note:**_

Hello lovelies, for the last two weeks my father has been in the hospital and unfortunately his health has taken a turn for the worst, as he is now doing exams for a delicate surgery that involves a transplant I am going to dedicate my free time to be by his side. For that reason all of my stories are at the moment put on hold, I'm sorry for leaving them like this but as I hope you all understand I'm not well to write at the moment and I need to focus on my father and be with him as much as I am able to.

Hopefully it won't be a long hiatus but for now I'm logging off.

Love, Ad


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